Rise of the Elements Part I: The Lost Element
by Frostbreaker
Summary: Because of the multiverse theory, I believe that anything is possible. After an innocent wish one night, I get to be a part of something I never expected after an invitation from the lunar princess. First story. Self insert. Loosely follows canon. T rating for language, violence, use of alcohol, and some mild suggestive situations. Useful criticism only, please.
1. Ch 1: A Brave New World

**A/N: First story here guys 'n' gals, and I am EXCITED! Criticism is always appreciated, so long as it's constructive - positive or negative.**

******Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters associated with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, nor the original story.**

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Chapter 1: A Brave New World

My name is Drew. I'm a 25 year old college student working and living at home. I'm not tall, only being about six foot, while my younger brother somehow got to 6' 7". "Little" brother...yeah...right. I have dark brown hair which I always kept short because I'm too lazy to do anything with it in the mornings. However I'm always told my eyes are the most interesting physical trait about me: brown and green. Both eyes are the same, but each iris is brown in the middle with a sunburst pattern, with a faded green on the outside. Doctors had said it's part of my condition...something to do with increased light sensitivity. Good news, I can see well in the dark. Bad news, bright lights make my head hurt in the same way your eyes burn when you first wake up in the morning and turn on a bright light. I always got teased for it in high school. Looking back I'm not sure how you could come up with a legitimate insult for eyes like mine, but being an angsty teenager at the time, my feelings got hurt easily. Having few friends, I always made sure to be close and loyal to the ones that I had, and it always paid off. My friends would do anything for me, and I for them. Keeping only two friends from my high school years, we're now as close as my own family, and so I consider them as such. Through many hardships I've been through with them - both family and friends - I became fiercely protective of them.

I awoke from a deep sleep with a start, quickly checking to make sure I was indeed still in my bed and unharmed. I then tiptoed over to my sister's room to check on her...a growing feeling of dread building as I heard no sound from the room before me. As I ever so slowly cracked the door, I peered in the dark room searching for my piece of mind. Relief washed over me when I saw her figure on the bed before me, soft breathing signaling that she was asleep. I walked over to her bedside looking at her face. A smile crept onto my face and I leaned in to kiss her forehead before closing the door and crossing the hallway back to my room. Upon entering my room, I quickly glanced at the clock. '_Damn...two thirty? Why God, why?' _I that at this point sleep would be impossible, I grabbed my phone and began to browse a fan-fiction site for some good stories to read until it was time to get up.

Unfortunately, none of this was an uncommon thing for me. Beginning at a young age, I began to have vivid dreams of...things. Terrible things...horrible things that I fear may have driven me a bit insane. Dreams of death...of loss...of war. Though the frightened feeling I felt when awakened in such a way never waned, I had tempered my resolve not to wake up screaming every time it happened. Needless to say, my family preferred it this way.

As I browsed the fan-fiction site I'd found a couple of months ago, I was yet again drawn to the _My Little Pony_ section. I had watched the show for the first time months ago, curious as to what all the hype was about. Thinking it would be another boring kiddie show, I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself drawn into the story. The characters were well made, and while it's obvious this program was made to be marketed to young girls, I began to realize what all the "bronies" were on about. While I'd never consider myself a "brony", I could honestly admit to myself that I enjoyed the show, and often found myself waiting for the next installment with excitement. Shortly after finding out about the fan-fiction stories, I often found myself enthralled and often daydreaming about how awesome it would be to actually meet and make friends with these characters. I would often catch myself standing in the rain on cloudy nights, just staring at the moon...a little fantasy playing in my head.

This night however, would be different.

It was about 5:00pm and I had just arrived home from work. I did my usual routine of greeting and feeding my dogs and cleaning up myself and changing. I gave a strong hug to my sister telling her I loved her and thought I'd take a walk up the street, seeing as how such a nice day should not be wasted. A "nice day" to me being overcast and cool with a light autumn drizzle. I decided I'd walk into town and say hello to the neighbors for a change.

By the time I made it back home, my mother had arrived home from errands and the sun was just beginning to touch the horizon, causing the beautiful reds, oranges, and purples of dusk to appear. I marveled at just how beautiful it was. It truly is the simple things in life that are important. Almost without thinking, I whispered '_Thank you Celestia' _to the evening. At that moment, the first star of the night became visible overhead next to the crescent moon, as the cool air of the early evening cleared the clouds away. It twinkled, almost as if winking at me, and I chuckled at the prospect. '_Don't worry Luna, I haven't forgotten about you. Thank you for the beautiful night that I love so much. I wish I could meet you and your sister to tell you in person how much I love what you do.'_ I thought. I walked back inside my home, not noticing that same star suddenly flashing very bright, before waning back to its original luminescence.

After showering and getting ready for bed, I found myself wide awake and unable to sleep. So, I simply sat in the window nook next to my bed and stared at the night sky. I soon found my mind going back to a fairly new yearning within my heart...and I smiled as I thought of the little ponies I cared about, though I would never get to meet them. My momentary waking dream was interrupted as I felt - rather than heard - something in my room. Never having been a paranoid guy, I suddenly found myself intrigued rather than scared, and I scanned the room for anything out of the ordinary. Being a night owl, I often would be awake at the later hours, so I knew my room well. My eyes settled on a shadow in the corner of my room that shouldn't be there. Always one to play on the possibility of freaking out someone who thinks they're being sneaky, I simply said, "I know you're there, I can see you." Not really expecting anyone to respond, I just turned back to the window and gazed at the stars. I heard shuffling from behind me, and then I felt the presence standing behind me. Thinking it was my sister I said, "Hey Jen. What's the matter, you can't sleep either?" Silence followed before she said, "Why wouldst we sleep when the night is our domain?"

...that voice...

While definitely female, that wasn't my sister...

I slowly turned to find myself staring at a dark blue face with bright blue eyes. It was staring at me incredulously, as if questioning how to handle the situation. I scooted back against the window in sudden panic...fear was not something I felt often anymore. "Be not afraid, we do not intend to harm you." she stated plainly. I relaxed a little, though still gazed at the creature with wary eyes. The last of the clouds cleared away from the moon in the sky, allowing me to see in detail the one who stood before me. She was a horse-like creature with dark blue fur and and a flowing mane and tail of lighter blue, which seemed to shimmer when it moved. She had a spiraled horn on her forehead, and I saw wings carefully folded along her sides. '_Dear God...I've finally lost it.' _I thought to myself. At this point I assumed I was already insane, so I figured what the hell...I'll go with it. I stood up in front of her noticing that she was nearly as tall as me, not including the horn. I dropped to a knee and bowed my head in reverence. "Princess Luna, it is a pleasure." I greeted before standing again. The lunar goddess raised an eyebrow at me in confusion for a moment before speaking. "You know me?" I responded in a non-threatening tone, "In a way, yes. I must say, however, I never expected to actually meet you in person. Er, in pony? Whatever...you know what I'm trying to say." Her confusion suddenly subsided and she giggled. I was pleased she decided to drop the formal act, as I was never one for formalities. "It brings me joy that you would speak to me as you are. So many of my subjects are afraid of me that often they will not meet my eyes, much less speak to me. What made you choose to converse with me in such a way? While I will not say your assumption was incorrect, most would use speech with formalities and apologies so as not to incur my perceived wrath." I snorted with a grin. "You're meeting me - a stranger - face to face in my bedroom. I think formality has gone out the window, so-to-speak." She suddenly blushed furiously. "O-oh, I apologize for intruding in your private chambers. It was not decent of me to do so..." She suddenly found the floor very interesting. I smiled a warm smile. '_Oh yeah...so much cuter in real life.' _I softly placed a finger on her chin, moving her head up to meet my eyes again. Her eyes darted around in embarrassment. "Princess, look at me please." She still would not meet my eyes. I decided to be a little more assertive. "Luna...look at me." She finally gazed into my eyes again, a blush still kissing her cheeks. "You didn't do anything wrong. I did say I wanted to meet you after all. In all honesty, I never thought I would meet you, so I'm honestly too happy to let a little thing like a minor invasion of privacy bother me." She accepted this, the blush disappearing and she physically relaxed again.

For the rest of the night we spoke of a great many things. Seeing as how I already knew a bit about her, most of the conversations were her asking questions about me and my life, while I attempted to explain in terms she would understand easily. While definitely not stupid, my world was much different than hers. Something so simple as a car was a foreign concept to her. As the night wore on and the first hints of light began to kiss the horizon, I suddenly felt a little depressed when I saw it. She noticed this and became concerned. "What is wrong, Drew? You seem rather...down suddenly." she inquired. I sighed softly and turned to her. "It's just that I know you can't stay here, you'll have to get back to your world. I just worry that when I wake up, this has all been a vivid dream and it never actually happened." I was crestfallen, and she noticed. She smirked a bit before replying, "Well, I did not come here simply to thank you for your revelry in my beautiful night. I came here with a personal invitation. I believe you can guess what I am inviting you for." I stared with mouth ajar...awestruck. Here was a royal princess - nay, a goddess - asking if I wanted to come with her to a world of my dreams. My mind began racing so fast and then stopped on one thing: my family. I can't just leave them. I let out a shaky, pained breath before responding. "I can't." She looked at me in disbelief and...sadness? "W-why not? I thought you wanted this!" She almost yelled. I shushed her, remembering my sleeping family. "I'm sorry Luna, I can't leave my family. Imagine the love you have for your sister. Imagine being asked to leave her forever. I know you couldn't do that...and I can't do that either. I'm sorry. I want this, really I do...but my family comes first." Her expression immediately changed from hurt to a gentle smile. I stared at her confused. "What?" I asked. She simply giggled and shook her head. "Well I could never ask you to do that. That is why they will be coming with you."

Jaw, meet floor...floor, meet jaw. Here's a ball. Play nice.

After what felt like an eternity, I realized she was waiting for my answer. I quickly composed myself and noticed she was barely containing a laugh. I looked down and noticed I had been drooling a little. "Har har har, very funny. I'm completely caught off guard with that, don't judge me." I huffed. Before I could make my decision, something was bothering me that I had to address. "Why me? I'm pretty sure I'm not the only human in a world of 6 billion people that enjoys your night...nor the only one that enjoys it and knows about you. That and the fact that myself - not to mention my family - are strangers. Why and how are you so trusting that we won't hurt you or the other ponies or something?" She smiled again, the warmth from it instantly calming me. "I and my sister chose you because of the strong compassion, love, and loyalty that you show to your family and friends. Yes...Tia knows about you as well, and this was a joint decision between us. The way you treat your family and friends is something we value and encourage in our land...and you also have other qualities that we may need to call upon, as does your family. While it is true this is the first time we have spoken, you are no stranger. Being on the moon for a millennia may have left me with stunted understanding of the modern world, but make no mistake...I am no fool. I have watched you and your family from afar, and my sister has as well. We know that while you make mistakes, you do not have malicious intent, and neither does your family. Besides, being as we are, what makes you think that my sister and I could not deal with you or your family should you pose a problem?" I mulled this over. "Okay, point taken. I have to say though, I don't know how my family would react to such a change. My sister would probably love it, my mom would warm up to it eventually...but my brother...I'm not sure of. If you've watched us I'm sure you're aware of his...tendencies towards females as well as his pent up anger and resentment for the only father he's ever known just walking out on him. I'd want him there with me, as I trust him and he's changed a lot over the years...but still. I just don't know." She smiled that same smile that I've grown to love. Must be magic. "I understand your concerns and I can say that I trust you will watch out for him and ease him into the new life. As you are aware, I know the damage anger and hatred can do to one's soul. I also know however that your world is partly to blame for this. Your world is - how do I say it... - corrupt." Well...can't argue with that. "Well then, I guess that's pretty much everything. When do we leave?" I asked. She bounced in excitement at my acceptance of her offer. "Well, we are able to leave immediately if you are ready. I would change your physical form to something more...suited to our world though, if you do not mind." I was never more ready for this than now. "Sounds good Luna, although we might want to give a day or two for my family to adjust and let me explain what's going on before they get 'changed'. Yet again, the whole unknown reaction thing comes into play. I wouldn't want to wake up in a body I didn't go to sleep with and have no idea what happened or why. The shock of waking up in a different world will be enough to deal with for now." She nodded. "Very well. I am sure you know of my friend Twilight Sparkle. They can stay with her in her library while they adjust. I will send a letter to her before we leave explaining the situation. I am sure she will be glad to help." I nodded back. "Okay. Well since I'll not have fingers anymore, or need to wear clothes, I guess I'll just pack some clothes for my family." She waved a hoof. "Already taken care of." I stared at her with a 'how?' face on. She leans in close and whispers, "Magic..." I decide not to question further. I suddenly became a little sad. "Hmm...it's too bad. I would've loved to bring my guitars and mp3 player...but I guess without fingers I won't really be able to use them anymore. I really wanted to show everyone my music." She smiled again. '_Ugh, that damn smile.'_ "Do not worry...you will still be able to use them. You may bring them if you wish." I was beaming. Vinyl Scratch is going to have fun with this music.

Luna and I spent the next hour of remaining night getting my things ready to go. I was shaking with anticipation, but wanted to be sure I had everything I might need. When I was ready, I signaled Luna to come close. She followed me downstairs, somehow her hooves not making any noise on the wooden stairs. She'll have to teach me how to do that sometime. "Okay Luna, I think we're all set. Ready when you are." She nodded and I watched as a dark blue aura emanated from her horn, surrounding me. It tingled a little and I felt the need to scratch my arms. The next thing I knew there was a bright flash and I blacked out.


	2. Ch 2: Gently

**A/N: Wow, this was a quick chapter. Thank God for coffee. Anyhow please R&R and as always, enjoy!**

******Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters associated with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, nor the original story.**

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Chapter 2: Gently

_'Ugh, my friggin head...'_ I thought as I began to awaken. As my head began to clear a bit, I could hear voices...voices I recognized.

"...I don't know, Twi. I don't trust him."

"Spike, Princess Luna asked us to watch over him until he woke up. You know as well as I do that she would not have brought him here if she thought he was dangerous."

"Yeah I know, but I still don't know. There's just something about this guy that bugs me."

"Spike, you say that about every new stallion you meet. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were jealous."

"W-what? I'm n-not jealous!"

I smiled a bit, deciding to dump my feigned sleep.

"Your lips say no, your behavior says yes." I stated while standing.

This startled the small dragon, making him jump as high as he was tall. I chuckled a bit before falling flat on my face. Spike was in hysterics. "Okay fine...I deserve that. Laugh it up." I said dryly. _'What's wrong with my feet? Oh wait...hooves. Oh yeah.'_ I tried to stand again, more slowly this time and on four feet not two. Needless to say I was more successful. "This is going to take some getting used to. Hey, do you have a book that can teach me how to walk?" I said to Twilight. I decided not to call her by name. I didn't know how much Luna had told her. She blinked before walking to the bookshelves. "Umm, yeah. One moment." She said slowly. "I guess it must be a big change for you, going from two feet to four hooves." She stated. _'Okay good, it seems Luna at least told her what I used to be. Saves me a lot of explaining.' _Spike continued to stare me down. Twilight noticed this and thankfully saved me from the awkwardness. "Spike, could you please go prepare us some tea?" Spike huffed a bit, but complied as he walked to the kitchen. I looked at Twilight and mouthed a thank you when he left.

"What's his problem?" I asked.

"I'm not really sure. Just give him some time. Being the only male around here that knows all my friends, he can get a little...protective." Twilight announced. She made sure Spike heard.

"Well I don't _look_ dangerous or anything, do I?"

"The mirror's over here in the washroom. See for yourself." She said.

I walked as carefully as I could to where she gestured, counting a _'1, 2, 3, 4_..._' _rhythm in my head in an attempt to avoid falling again. Slowly but surely, I made it to the small room in the hallway. I took a look at myself for the first time in the mirror, and was a little taken aback at what I saw. My fur was a silver color and very shiny, almost like metal. My mane was a stark white, with streaks of silver running down either side with a tail to match. My eyes looked roughly the same, though my pupils were much larger than before. What really surprised me was that I had a horn on my head. _'Sweet, I'm a unicorn!' _Something was a bit off though...why was I so big? I was about the same height as Luna was, I think...but I towered over Twilight and Spike. _'I don't remember anyone except Big Mac being so tall. Oh well...I was a different species at one point, so I guess that must be it. I guess...'_ "So what do you think?" Twilight said from behind me. She startled me and I jumped up in the air, something lashing out and hitting the walls on either side of me. _'What the hell was th- no way...'_ I looked on either side of me, and sure enough there was a massive wing on each side...the color matching my coat with a white stripe coloring the feathers along the outside edge.

"You're...you're an alicorn!" said Twilight...taking the words out of my mouth. "I'm surprised, but didn't you see my wings before? I was just kinda laying on the ground for God...erm...Celestia knows how long before waking up." She shook her head. "I don't remember seeing any wings. Hmm...if you can, fold your wings up against your body." she said. Not really sure how to do it, I tried to feel for new muscles I wouldn't be used to, and luckily they were easy to feel in my back. I contracted them with some effort and the wings lay down at my sides...and then disappeared. "Woah...what the hell happened to my wings?" Twilight glared at me. "Let me guess...language?" I said. She nodded. "Sorry, Twilight Sparkle." I looked down, a little ashamed. "Don't worry about it," she said, "I know you come from a different world and it's safe to assume the way of speaking there compared to here is different. Just try and keep things under control please. Ponies don't use strong words like that very often, if at all. Also, please just call me Twilight. When you say my full name, I start looking around for my dad thinking I'm in trouble." I chuckled a bit at this, surprised that she seemed to have a sense of humor. Guess the tv show didn't show everything. She pondered a moment, then seemed to have an epiphany. "I think I know why your wings disappear when you fold them up. It seems Princess Luna put an enchantment on them to disappear whenever they're folded up. My guess being it's easier to explain a big unicorn than an alicorn being in Ponyville." I nodded. Makes sense. All the same, I was still excited that Luna decided to make me the same type of pony she and her sister were. She must really trust me to do that. I felt a little flattered at this thought, and thought of how nice she was. _'She was pretty too...mmm...wait what? Where did that come from?' _*POMF* Suddenly my wings were stretched out wide and quivering a bit. I had read enough fanfics to know what this was. _'Great...it's like middle school all over again.'_ I looked over and found Twilight blushing. Seems she knows what it is too...great. _'She probably thinks I'm a perv now. Smooth move, dude.' _Twilight just giggled a bit. "You need to flap them a bit to loosen the muscles up, then it'll stop." I looked at her confused for a moment. "Umm Twilight, I'm not sure how to do that. New body, remember?" She nodded then smiled softly. "Feel around for the strongest muscles in your back. Those will be your flight muscles. Rainbow Dash can teach you more about all that later. For now, just find the muscles and try and move them. You probably can't fly yet without some practice, but you'll be able to move them enough to get your little..._problem_ under control." She giggled. I sighed in annoyance but did as I was told. I found the muscles she was talking about after a few minutes of feeling, and worked them a bit. Luckily, it worked and my wings were relaxed again. Now I didn't feel like a complete jackass. "Thanks Twi...you're a lifesaver." I said. She smiled and nodded, then went back to her books.

Spike entered the room a second later with the tea that I had completely forgotten about. I took it gratefully from Spike with a 'thank you', trying my best to befriend the little guy. He rolled his eyes, but nodded and brought Twilight her tea. "Hey Spike, guess what?" I said. He turned towards me in time to see me stretch my wings to their full length. His jaw dropped and he started stuttering. "Y-y-you're an a-a-a-alicorn?" I nodded. He just stood there, dumbstruck. "Yeah, I have the lovely Princess Luna to thank for this." I said. "Wait, wait, wait...so let me get this straight: Princess Luna comes to you - a complete stranger and an alien - and asks if you want to come to our world. Not only that, she makes you one of the most powerful beings to have ever lived? HAS SHE COMPLETELY LOST IT?" I grin while looking behind Spike at the figure that just walked in the door. "Maybe you should ask her yourself, Spike." I nodded towards the door behind him. Spike winces as if he'd been physically struck on the back of the head. He slowly turns to face Luna as she looks at him with a face of mock fury. He trembles in fear before dashing past me and hiding underneath Twilight's reading table. Twilight, finally broken out of her trance-like state while reading glares at the small dragon. "Ugh, Spike, what's the matter with yo-" Twilight stops as she looks at the door. She smiles warmly at the welcome guest. "Oh hello, Luna. I'm so glad you're back. I know he missed you. He missed you a _lot_." she said, pointing and smirking at me. _'Ooh...I am _so_ going to get you back for this...'_ Luna's face instantly changed to one of happiness as she gazed at me, seemingly pleased with my appearance. "Well, that turned out much better than I could have hoped. Seems you've adjusted fine to your new body." _'Wow...he is a much more handsome than I thought he would be. Wait...what? No...bad Luna! Stop that!' _Luna seemed deep in thought so I decided to get her attention quite possibly the dumbest way possible. I started singing "I'm too Sexy" while standing on my hind legs and running my hooves over myself in a silly manner. She stared at me for a second before blushing profusely and then...*POMF* Luna's wings were now completely stiff. "Haha! I win!" I shouted. Twilight fell out of her chair laughing and Spike, now no longer scared, joined her. Luna was mortified, her face blushing even more. "S-s-silence! It is not that funny!" She stammered. I got up right in front of her face and whispered. "Oh yes...yes it is." She blushed even harder...I didn't know it was possible, but she did. She looked like she was on the verge of tears. _'Oh no...I didn't want this to happen. I'd forgotten how sensitive she can be.' _I walked right up next to her and gently placed a foreleg around her in a gentle half-hug. She tensed a bit, but then sighed and leaned into it, her wings starting to relax. I looked at Twilight and Spike, who were catching their breath from the laughing. "Alright you two, that's enough. We've had our fun." I turned to Luna. "Don't worry Luna, the same thing happened to me not thirty minutes ago. Twilight laughed at me as well, so it's all in good fun." Luna relaxed a bit at this, and then started to giggle. "Aww...I missed your first wing-stiff? I feel like I missed out a party!" she fake-pouted. I decided to push a little at this point and whispered in her ear. "Care to guess who it was that made it happen?" She acted offended, switching to her old archaic style of speaking. "Thou art filthy-minded, young one. Thou art to wash thine mouth with soap." she said, smirking. "Ugh...you make me feel like a little kid when you talk like that. I feel like I'm talking to my mom or something...minus all the 'thees' and 'thous'." She smiled at me, instantly lifting my mood. '_God, I love that smile'_ "Come now, it was a jest. Surely you did not think I was serious?" I shook my head. "Luna my family is one of the most joking and sarcastic bunch you'll ever meet. Trust me...I can take a joke just fine. You better be ready at any time to get a joke or prank played on you though. Speaking of my family, where are they? I thought they were coming with us." Luna simply nodded. "Yes they have come with us. As a matter of fact, they are upstairs sleeping at the moment." I glanced at the clock. "Wow...2:00pm? Must be nice to sleep in that long." Luna giggled a bit. "Well...would you like to go see them?" she asked. I contemplated exactly how I was going to do this. Though my voice was the same, a talking alicorn with their brother/son's voice was not going to go smooth. I had an idea suddenly, and prayed to Celestia it would work.

"Alright here's what we're gonna do. Twilight? I need you to barricade the window in that room. Or if you have magic that can make it strong enough to where it couldn't be broken out of, do that. Second, we need to lock the door to the room magically so it can't be opened until we're ready. I have an idea on how to do this, but you have to trust me. Above all else, do not say anything until or unless I ask you to. They're already going to freak out a bit...I'd like to keep the freaking to a minimum." Twilight casted a barrier spell on the window, effectively making in indestructible. Luna locked the door. _'Hope this works...'_ I knocked loudly on the door to the room. _'No response...'_ I banged on the door louder. This time, I heard stirring from within the room, along with a few confused responses. My mom's voice sounded a little nervous, but luckily she seemed to be holding. _'*sigh* here goes...'_ "Mom?" I called out.

"Drew? Where are you? Where are we?"

"You're safe, I promise. I need you to listen to me now."

"Drew? Why is the door locked? Open this door and let us out."

"I will in a minute mom, I need you to trust me please."

"Umm...alright. What's going on?"

"I'm trying to get to that. I'm going to warn you ahead of time...the next few hours are going to be hard...and all of you are going to freak out and/or have a mental breakdown...just bare with me though, I'm here for you guys, I promise."

"I-I don't understand...what's going on? I don't recognize this room...are we still even in our house?"

_'*sigh*'_ "I don't really know how else to say this so I'm just gonna say it...we're not on Earth anymore. I'm not even sure we're in the same universe."

"...What? What are you talking about? If you're trying to keep us from freaking out this isn't helping."

I looked at Luna and nodded. "Mom, I'm coming in now. I'm going to warn you ahead of time...I look really different, but I'm still me. Please just trust me. No one is going to hurt you, I promise."

Luna undid the lock and the door clicked and swung open slightly. I nudged the door open and stepped in. My mom and sister stared at me wide-eyed in shock, and my brother stood in front of them in a fighting stance. I stopped about five feet away from them and sat down, lowering my head a bit. My mom then shouted out the doorway, "Andrew? I thought you were coming in. Why did you send this...unicorn?" she stammered as she realized what I was...or at least partway. I simply looked up at my brother sadly. He stared at me for a minute looking at my eyes, then backed off, leaning against the wall behind him. My mom stared at him, as did my sister, with confused and worried expressions on their faces. I looked to my brother. He crossed his arms and nodded. _'Moment of truth'_ I sighed, then looked at my mom with as warm of an expression I could manage. "Hi mom." I said lightly. My mother's jaw would've dropped on the ground had it not been attached to her head. My sister shared a similar expression, though I could tell she was more curious than scared. My mom stood rigid for a good ten minutes before speaking. "My God...what's happened to you?" I sighed. As bad as it sounds, thankfully she accepts this is me. This was actually going smoother than I thought it would. "I've been changed to suit this world, mom. Take a look out that window over there." I said while pointing. She slowly walked over to the window, not taking her eyes off me until she got there. When she looked, her eyes got even wider. All I could think was, _'Man, she's gonna need some Visine after this.'_ She then looked back to me, then back out the window, then back to me. "Where are we, Andrew?" she asked. "Equestria." My brother stated. They both looked at him with pleading eyes. "It's a fictional world created as a TV show in our world. Well...our old world. Because of all the posts that 'bronies' make on the different sites I visit, I'm more familiar with it than I'd like to be. Still, there's no mistake about it...we're in Equestria. The show it's from is called _My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic_." he finished. My mother and sister stared at him like he was crazy. I sighed, then turned my head back before calling for Luna and Twilight to enter. Luckily my family didn't seem as surprised to see Luna and Twilight...seeing as how meeting me had been the majority of the shock. That being the case, I introduced them. "Mom, Jennie, Mason, this is Twilight Sparkle. Local librarian, and personal student to the co-monarch Princess Celestia." I said while pointing to Twilight. Twilight stepped forward slowly and bowed her head slightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you all." she stated before stepping away to my side. "And this," I gestured to Luna, "is Princess Luna. Co-monarch of Equestria, goddess and ruler of the night, moon, and stars." Luna stepped forward slowly, before surprising me and bowing to my family. "How do you do. I am Princess Luna, but no formality needed, you may call me Luna. I understand you all have a great many questions for us all, and we will answer them all in due time, I promise. For now, we need to find you all something to eat, and then you must rest. We will speak again in the morning."

Luna and Twilight left the room, just leaving me with my family. They all stared at me, taking everything in. My sister was the first to speak. "So...what's it like? Being a unicorn with wings?" I chuckled at this. Thankfully her curiosity overrules her fear. "Well it's pretty cool actually. The correct term is alicorn though. I can use magic once I train in it, and I can fly once I train in it as well. Walking was a challenge...I fell flat on my face my first try." My family laughed at this. _'Laughing...laughter is always a good sign.'_ "I never really figured you for a brony, man." my brother said. "Meh...I can't really consider myself a brony. I'm not all obsessed over the thing. I do have to admit though, this world is a lot better than ours, so I'm not ashamed to say I'm glad that my 'guilty pleasure' actually went somewhere." I chuckled. My mother was silent for awhile. When she finally spoke, her voice was so low it was almost a whisper. "So why are we here?" I knew this was coming...there would be no easy way to break this. I know I made the right choice bringing them all here. Here we can have a life much better than in our world. However, my self-guilt of making such a large decision on something that affects us all made me start to doubt myself. _'No, don't think like that...you made the right decision. You know this. Don't fall apart...you got this.'_ I sighed softly before explaining everything. My first meeting with Luna in detail, as well as my decision to turn her offer down on account of my family and devotion to them. When I finished my little story, they all just stared at me. Surprisingly, my mother spoke first after glancing out the window and around the room again. "So you were ready to give this all up...for _us_?" I shook my head. "I can't give up what I never had...but I was ready to turn it down without a second thought. My exact words to Luna was that my family comes first...and that because of that I couldn't go. She then told me that she intended on bringing us all. We can have such a better life here that would never be available to us on Earth. We deserve this...we've been through enough of the hard stuff. Time for a reward." My mother nodded her head, agreeing. _'Thank God for that.'_ "There is a catch though..." They all looked at me. "I don't want any of you to go back to that horrible world. I want you here with me for a second chance and actual happiness." They all nodded. "However, in order to stay here, you will have to give up your human body. That's why I look like this now. I've already decided to stay. I want you to stay with me, but as I said, you'll no longer be a human. Luna and/or Celestia will help you get a new form. I know it's a big decision, so don't make it right now. Take a day or two and think about it...I mean really think about it." They all nodded and I walked towards the door. I stopped in the doorway and turned back to face them. "I love you all, so much. You guys mean everything to me. I want us to be happy and together."

I then walked downstairs to see Twilight, Luna, and Spike all talking at the reading table. As soon as they saw me, they all fell silent. Luna slowly walked up to me, gazing at me for a moment before throwing her forelegs around my neck and embracing me in a hug. I was a little surprised at first, but then I stood up on my hind legs and returned the hug. "Thank you Luna...thank you for all of this. I will thank Celestia myself when I get the chance, but for now...thank you so much Luna." Without thinking, I kissed her softly on the cheek. She looked at me with a huge blush on her face, and then nuzzled into my neck. _'Phew...that could've been bad. Dammit Drew, you need to start thinking before doing shit.'_ After a minute or so more, Luna released the embrace and I walked over to Twilight and bowed before her. She looked at me quizzically. "Thank you so much Twilight for taking my family into your home. I know Luna asked you to, but still...thank you. You have my gratitude, and if you'll have me, my friendship." Twilight smiled before getting up from her table and throwing her hooves around my neck in a hug. I hugged her back and nuzzled her mane, to which she giggled. I broke the hug and mouthed one last _'Thank you' _before turning away.

Damn...today was intense...


	3. Ch 3: New Greetings

**A/N: So, here's chapter number 3. I worked hard on this one and I'm pretty pleased with it. Hope you enjoy it!**

******Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters associated with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, nor the original story.**

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Chapter 3: New Greetings

After explaining everything to my family, I bid farewell to Luna, as she had to head back to her palace for royal duties. Twilight nudged me towards the front door and told me to go meet the other ponies in town. She promised to look after my family. Deciding to make an attempt at friendship again, I turned to Spike who had been cleaning up the library a bit. "Hey Spike, I'm going to take a walk around town. Want to join me?" Spike seemed a bit reluctant while looking at Twilight. She simply nodded to him and he sighed. "Yeah sure. I guess I could use some fresh air." He grabbed a small saddlebag and headed out the door with me.

We wandered around town a bit and somehow ended up at a very lavish looking building that looked a bit like a carousel. _'This must be Rarity's place'_ Spike had a spring in his step as he realized where we were. I chuckled at this and knocked on the door. Suddenly a small white blur shot out of the door and rammed into my left foreleg. _'That's gonna bruise...'_ I nearly fell over from loss of balance, but luckily Spike stopped me from falling. He's pretty strong for such a small guy. I glanced back at my "attacker" and saw a small white unicorn. "Hey Sweetie Belle, you okay?" Spike said in a concerned voice. She sat on her haunches with her hooves on her head. "Ow...what did I run into?" She caught sight of me for a moment before turning to Spike. "Oh hey Spike. Who's your friend?" Spike rolled his eyes at the word "friend". Meh...it's better than outright hostility. "Sweetie Belle this is..." He then stopped and stared at me. _'Ah shit...I can't use my real name. Think...think! Aha!'_ "The name's Steelbreaker." I said, extending a hoof down to her. She stared at my hoof before glancing up at me. She gently grabbed my hoof with hers somehow and pulled herself up. _'No fingers...how did she do that? Must be magic or something...'_ She smiled cutely before doing a sort of curtsy. "Hey Steelbreaker, my name's Sweetie Belle. It's nice to meet you! Sorry but I gotta run. My friends are waiting for me at the clubhouse. Bye Steelbreaker, bye Spike!" With that she was off again. I looked at Spike and he shrugged. I knocked on the door to the boutique and a few moments later it opened revealing a bleach-white unicorn with violet hair. "Good afternoon and welcome to the Carousel Boutique. Is there anything I can-" She stopped as she finally looked at me a small blush forming on her cheeks before immediately dissipating. "Why hello there, I don't believe we've met. I am Rarity, owner of the Carousel Boutique. Welcome!" she stated, smiling. Spike was visibly on edge. "Hello Miss Rarity, I'm Steelbreaker. It's a pleasure to meet you. You come with great recommendation from Twilight Sparkle." Her smile grew and she blushed a bit. "Ah, so you know Twilight Sparkle?" she inquired. I decided to play it safe and keep things simple. "Yes. I'm new to Ponyville and she's one of the first ponies I met here. Spike offered to give me a tour of the town since Twilight is busy." She glanced at Spike for the first time. "Oh my little Spikey, I'm sorry. I didn't see you there." She gave him a kiss on the forehead and he blushed hotly. Rarity then gestured inside and we followed her, closing the door behind us. "So," she started "would you like some tea?" I nodded. "That would be lovely, thank you Rarity." I answered. "My my, so polite. If only more colts had your manners." she quipped. Spike looked a little mad at the compliment she gave me. I leaned in close as she left the room. "Spike, she's not my type. Don't worry, I'm not going to try and steal her from you or anything." The little dragon relaxed and nodded at me, a smile finally on his face. _'Finally...progress.'_

After some small talk and tea at Rarity's boutique, Spike and I left to wander the town a bit more. We walked towards the town square when a bright pink pony with fluffy pink hair approached. Upon seeing me, she suddenly bolted towards me and Spike, a huge grin on her face. "HI! I'm Pinkie Pie! I've never seen you before, and I know everyone in Ponyville! *GASP* You must be new here! We need to-" I stopped the incoming speed-rambling by placing a hoof on her mouth. "Yes Pinkie Pie, I'm new. You know what you should do? You should organize a PARTY!" Her eyes lit up, and she dashed off, a small dust cloud in her wake. Spike only shook his head. "Do you think that was a good idea? Her parties can get a little...crazy. It took me two days to get all the frosting cleaned up last time she had a party at the library." I nudged him. "Ah, it'll be fine. Besides, you have to admit, she does know how to brighten any mood." Spike chuckled, but nodded.

The day was winding down, so we decided to meet one more pony before we called it a day. My guide told me I'd get a kick out of her, so I nodded and followed him to an open field with a few clouds overhead. "Why are we here? You're not going to murder me or something, are you?" Spike looked at me with confusion before bursting out laughing. Finally catching his breath, he just shook his head at me. "Yeah...you and Pinkie will get along just fine." I shrugged. "Okay, so why are we here?" Spike pointed at a small cloud in the air. I could see a bit of rainbow-patterned tail hanging off the end. Spike inhaled a big breath. "Rainbow Dash!" She didn't move. He rolled his eyes. "OH CELESTIA, IT'S THE WONDERBOLTS!" Her head popped up from the cloud, and the cyan pegasus fell off her cloud. I was afraid she'd get hurt, but she quickly righted herself in the air before gliding down to land in front of me and Spike. She glared at him for a moment. "Haha, very funny Spike." He shrugged. "Hey, it worked didn't it? I tried calling your name. You didn't even move." She then turned her attention to me, confused. "Wow...you're tall." She then looked at the dragon again. "Spike, who's this?" Spike nudged me. "Oh, I'm Steelbreaker. I'm new here to Ponyville, so Spike was just giving me a short tour to meet a few of Twilight's friends. I heard you're pretty fast, Rainbow Dash." Rainbow just shook her head. "No, I'm not...I'm the _fastest_! Winner of the best young flier's award and future Wonderbolt. Not just anyone can pull off a Sonic Rainboom." she said while puffing out her chest. I chuckled. "Well normally pride like that can get annoying, but from what I've been told I think you can afford to be proud." She blushed a little. _'Holy feather-fuck, Batman! Did the great Rainbow Dash just blush?'_ "Well thanks, Steel. It's hard work to be as good as I am. It's nice to know somepony can see that. It's too bad you're not a pegasus. It'd be fun to race you, I think!" I shifted a bit uneasily. "Y-yeah...that's too bad. Well Rainbow Dash, it's getting a little late, so I think I'm going to call it a night." She nodded. "Alright then, Steel. I'll see ya around then. Where are you staying?" "Well, I'm staying with Twilight for the time being. Look me up there if you're in the area. I'll catch ya later, Dash." She nodded again. "Will do. Alright then, see you guys later. I recommend staying inside tomorrow though. The weather team has a thunderstorm planned." I smiled back at her. "Okay, thanks for the heads-up Dash. See ya!"

When Spike and I finally reached the town, Celestia's sun had already gone down, along with the last bit of daylight. Luckily Luna's moon was bright in the sky and full, so we wouldn't have trouble finding our way back to the library. "Thanks for the light Luna, I appreciate it." I said out loud. Spike looked confused. "Umm, Steel? Princess Luna's not here. Who are you talking to?" I sighed. "Well, back in my world, I would thank Luna and Celestia for their work. Seems that they heard me, because they knew what I'd said one of those times, verbatim. It was the last time I thanked them before coming here that I'd wished to meet them face-to-face. Obviously, being here, I got my 'wish'. If they could hear me all the way from another dimension or universe, I'm pretty sure they can hear me on their own planet." Spike scratched his chin before nodding. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense."

When we finally got back to the library, I saw that Twilight had fallen asleep waiting for us on the couch, as did my sister. I giggled(yes, I giggle...don't hate) and locked the door behind me while Spike had grabbed a blanket to throw over them. Spike brushed Twilight's mane out her eyes and kissed her on the cheek. I did the same for my sister. "You're a good assistant Spike. Twilight's lucky to have you." I said softly. He smiled at me. "I'm not her number one assistant for nothing, you know...but thanks, I appreciate that." Spike yawned loudly. "Hey Steel, I'm heading to bed unless you need anything." I shook my head. "Nah, you've done enough Spike. Get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow morning." He nodded and headed off to Twilight's room to sleep. I then headed up to the second level to check on my brother and mother, hoping that they were handling things okay.

As I entered the guest room, I could see my mother had already fallen asleep. My brother however was still awake, and he nodded at me as I walked in. I walked as softly as I could and sat down on the ground next to him. "So," he started, "when do we get to actually go outside?" I felt a little bad that they had to be stuck in here. "Well, these ponies can't see you in your human form...it would cause too much commotion. The sooner you change, the sooner you can get out of here. Made your decision yet?" He nodded slowly. "Yeah...I guess there's worse things I could be than a pony. It'll take some time to get over the cutsie-ness of this all, but I'll manage." I tilted my head a bit to the side. "Well who says you have to be a pony? So long as it follows the constraints of this world, you can be pretty much whatever you want. Keep in mind though, different forms will make the people..erm, _ponies _treat you differently. I wouldn't recommend being a massive fire-breathing dragon for example." He brightened up suddenly. "Well, what about a humanoid dragon? Same size as I am now, but a dragon. I could work with that." I thought about it for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, that could work. You'd need to _behave_ of course. Twilight's assistant Spike is a dragon, and the ponies seem to be fine around him. Twilight and I would vouch for you, as would Luna if she needed to." He smiled. "Yeah...this'll be sweet. Maybe this won't be so cutsie after all." I glared at him. "Hey hey hey, no burninating the village. Remember, we're guests here. Luna trusts my judgment of you, so please don't prove me wrong in trusting you won't make an ass of yourself...and me." He sighed. "Okay okay, I'll be good." I smiled. "Good. Thanks. So, what did mom have to say today?" He stared at me for a second before answering. "I'm not gonna lie to you, she had a bit of a breakdown. Jen and I calmed her down though and I think she's come to terms with everything. She'll be okay." I glanced over at the sleeping form in the bed. "Yeah...she'll be okay. She's not used to real happiness. In all honesty, neither am I. I have a feeling she's going to be suspicious for awhile, but she'll pull through. Alright then, it's about midnight. We should get some sleep. Big day tomorrow for you, Mr. Dragon." He chuckled before climbing off the floor and onto his bed, a bit too small for him. He stared at his feet hanging off the bed and frowned. "Well shit...even here I'm too big for everything." I chuckled softly before climbing into bed and relaxing. I closed my eyes and thought of Luna guiding me back to the library. _'Thank you Luna. Goodnight.' _I was a bit surprised and almost jumped out of my bed when a few seconds later she spoke back in my mind. _'You have not trained in any magic, yet already you can speak to me telepathically. I am impressed. Well, we will speak more of this the next time I visit. Goodnight Drew. Sleep well.'_ When she said that, I could have swore I almost felt her blushing. I chuckled a bit before closing my eyes again and drifting off to my first peaceful sleep in years.


	4. Ch 4: Apples, Butterflies, and Alcohol

**A/N: Yay for hard cider! Made some with dark apple cider and some rum. NOM...you should try. Anyhow, this one was a little difficult to write so that everything worked. As always, R&R and enjoy!**

******Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters associated with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, nor the original story.**

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Chapter 4: Apples, Butterflies, and Alcohol

I awoke the feeling more refreshed than I had in...well...longer than I can remember. I feel a pressure on my chest and look down to see my sister snuggling against me. I giggle at the sight, and my sister stirs and opens her eyes. "What?" she says defensively. I giggle more. "Oh nothing." She sticks out her bottom lip, pouting. "I woke up at around 1:00am. That couch was not as comfortable as a bed. When I came upstairs, you were in mine, so I shared it with you. You're really soft now, don't judge me horse-boy." I glanced over at the two empty beds in the room. "Do you know where mom and Mason are?" She nods. "Yeah, they went downstairs with Twilight Sparkle for breakfast about an hour ago. I was too lazy to get up, so I just stayed here." I laughed again. "Alright then, well my tummy's got the rumblies, so let's get cleaned up and join them."

It took awhile to figure out how to use my mouth and hooves for things I would usually use my hands for. I was a little surprised when I found that there was some sort of sticky "field" that allowed me to grab things with my front hooves. _'There's so much stuff going on here that I can't explain. Oh well...different universe, different physics and laws of reality, I suppose.'_ After taking quick showers and brushing our teeth, Jen and I went downstairs to find Twilight speaking with my mother, and my brother and Spike playing a card game of some sort. They all looked up as Jen and I came downstairs, and Twilight pointed to the kitchen. "There's strawberries, apples, and coffee in the kitchen for breakfast. Eat up, there's a lot to do today." I cocked my head in confusion. "What do you mean? What are we doing?" Twilight got up and put a book away before looking at me again. "Well your brother told me that he's decided on what form he wants to take, so I'll need to contact one of the princesses. Meanwhile, you still need to meet Applejack and Fluttershy. Lastly, Rainbow Dash said she needs to see you about something. She said she'd meet you at Fluttershy's house at around 5:00pm." I nodded. "Did Dash say what she needed to see me about?" Twilight shook her head. "Okay then. Let me get breakfast and brush my mane really quick and I'll get going." I headed to the kitchen and put a few apple slices and strawberries in a bowl with some milk from the fridge, then grabbed a cup of coffee. Carefully balancing on my back legs, I walked to the reading table and started eating. My mother laughed at me. "That looks a lot harder to do now that you're a...what did you say...alicorn?" I chuckled. "Yeah. Different spine and hip structure. I can certainly walk on two legs if I want to, but it's more comfortable on four." She nodded. "I bet. I think I've decided to just be a regular old pony. No magic or flying for me, thanks." I nodded. "Well earth ponies - as they're called - tend to be physically stronger than unicorns or pegusi and have better endurance. Applejack is an earth pony, and she's an apple farmer. I've never run a farm before, but I imagine you have to be pretty strong to do that all day long." She nodded back. "Mhm. I think I'll just keep things simple." "Understandable..." I said.

I quickly finished breakfast and made myself presentable before heading out. Seeing as how Applejack was closer and I was to meet Dash at Fluttershy's cottage anyway, I headed towards Sweet Apple Acres first. It took asking a few ponies for directions, but I made it there at about noon. I could hear the furious cracks of hooves against wood before I even got close enough to see anypony. As I got closer I saw a large crimson stallion plowing the fields. He spotted me and stopped, unhooking the plow harness from himself before walking over to meet me. Amazingly, I was actually bigger than him. All the same, I still wouldn't want to get in a tussle with the guy. "Howdy pardner, welcome ta Sweet Apple Acres. Name's Big Macintosh, but ya'll can call me Big Mac. What can Ah do ya fer?" he said while extending a hoof to shake. I took his hoof and shook it firmly. "Hey there, Big Mac. My name's Steelbreaker and I'm new around Ponyville. I'm friends with Twilight Sparkle and she said I should head over here to meet your sister, Applejack." He nodded. "Applejack'll be in the southern apple fields right 'bout now. Head towards tha house and take a left. Just follow tha noise and ya'll will find her." I nodded back. "Thanks Big Mac. Catch ya later," and with that he went back to his plowing. I followed his directions and sure enough there was a blonde-maned orange pony bucking an apple tree. I found myself absentmindedly admiring her muscular physique. _'No, stop it! I know you're the same species, but at least talk to her first!' _She saw me approach and wiped some sweat off of her brow before trotting over to meet me. I stuck out a hoof to shake, but before I could speak she grabbed my left foreleg and shook it violently. "Howdy! Mah name's Applejack and I run Sweet Apple Acres with mah family. Nice ta meet ya'll!" She released my leg and I rubbed my shoulder. _'That's gonna be sore later'_ "Nice to meet you Applejack, I'm Steelbreaker. I'm a new friend of Twilight's, and she told me I should meet you. This is quite the farm, ma'am. I'm impressed with the sheer size of it. I can only imagine how hard it is to keep this place going smoothly. You must be one hay of a hard worker." She blushed a bit at the compliment. "Aw shucks, ain't nothin'. Yeah it's hard work, but mah fam'ly and Ponyville depends on this here farm. Knowin' that our hard work puts food in tha bellies of tha ponies that live here makes it worth it." I smiled at her. "I admire your work ethic, Applejack. Not many peo-er, ponies where I come from have the same values. The world could use a few more like you." She blushed even harder. "Yer one hay of a sweet-talker Steel, but thanks." I waved a hoof. "Don't mention it. Anyway, Pinkie Pie's going to be holding some sort of party for me soon, so we'll catch up there. I gotta meet Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash now. Can you point me in the direction of Fluttershy's cottage?" Applejack nodded. "Sure thing." she then pointed at the forest in the distance. "That there is Everfree Forest. Follow it to tha left fer a stretch and ya'll will get there soon. Ya can't miss it. Make sure ta keep yer distance from tha forest though. There's all kines ah nasty critters in there." I nodded. "Don't worry Applejack, I'll be careful. Thanks for the directions. I'll be seein' ya." With that, I trotted back towards town.

I ended up having to walk back to town and all the way across it just to get to Fluttershy's cottage, as I was not going to swim through the river. This ate up a good portion of the day. By the time I finally got to Fluttershy's home, it must've been at least 4:30pm, as the sun was well on it's way down. I approached the house, and was stopped by a small white bunny before I could knock. He held up a paw, stopping me. "Ah, you must be Angel." He nodded. "Well, Twilight Sparkle is a friend of mine, and she told me I should meet Fluttershy. Can I?" The bunny seemed a little taken aback that I was actually asking for his permission. After thinking for a second, he nodded and opened the door for me. The house was cozy and for some reason induced a very relaxed feeling in me. I noticed it was framed by a great many small animal residences. Angel bounded up the stairs, I assume to fetch the shy pegasus. In an attempt not to frighten her too much, I made sure to stay put in plain sight. I could faintly hear Fluttershy's soft voice upstairs. "Oh hello Angel, I thought you weren't going to be back until later. Oh, we have a visitor?" I could then her the _clop clop_ of hooves down the stairs, and turned my head to find myself staring at a soft yellow pegasus with a pink mane. I stayed perfectly still otherwise, and allowed her to speak first. "Oh...um...hello. M-my name is F-Fluttershy." I nearly "dawwwed" right then. _'So cute!'_ I responded in the most gentle voice I could. "Hello Fluttershy, my name is Steelbreaker. It's a pleasure to meet you. I heard you have quite a way with animals." She smiled a soft smile, hiding behind her mane a bit. "Oh...um...yes. I love animals. I see you already met my pet bunny Angel. He was the one who let you in, so I guess you're okay." I nodded. "Don't worry Fluttershy, I wouldn't dream of hurting you or any of your animal friends. Angel included." She relaxed finally and I breathed a sigh of relief. "So, I'm also supposed to meet Rainbow Dash here for something. She wouldn't say what. Did she tell you anything?" She shook her head and gestured me to sit on the couch behind her. "No, Rainbow didn't tell me anything about it. I didn't even know she was coming until you told me, but that's alright. She's my best friend, so I always like to see her." As if on cue, we heard a knock on the door, and then said cyan pegasus enters. "Hey 'Shy, hey Steel. Good to see you guys!" Fluttershy trotted over and embraced her friend in a hug. "Oh Rainbow Dash, it's so good to see you! It's been a long time...how have you been?" Dash hugged the yellow mare back fiercely. "Yeah sorry 'Shy, my training schedule keeps me pretty busy and things have been kinda crazy lately with the weather team. I've been good though. I missed ya, pal." The duo hugged for another few seconds before breaking the embrace. Fluttershy headed for her kitchen. "Would anyone like some apple tea?" Dash and I nodded, and she scampered off. Dash took a seat next to me, eyeing me with those pretty magenta eyes. "So," she started, "when are you going to let me teach you to fly?" I flinched, then quickly cast my eyes to my sides. I saw no wings...how? "How did you know?" I asked. She giggled. "Twi's one of my best friends. I've been around her enough to be able to feel when there's magic around. Plus the fact that you're a lot taller than any of the other ponies around, Big Mac included, plus your horn is a lot longer than a normal unicorn's. Also, Twi told me." I suddenly started to panic a bit. She placed a hoof on mine, calming me down. I brought my eyes back to hers and she smiled. "Don't worry, the average pony isn't going to look into things like I do. The only other pony who would have figured it out would be Pinkie, but I don't understand half the things she does anyway. She won't tell anypony about it though unless you tell her she can, so don't worry." I was surprised at her behavior. "You know Dash, you're not what I'd expected." She snorted a laugh. "You thought I'd be some impatient meat-head, right?" I blushed in embarrassment. "Yeah...sorry." She patted me on the back. "Nah it's cool. Yeah, I can be that way, but I'm different with my friends. I don't have patience for ponies I don't know well." I gave a confused look. "Well what about me? I mean, you don't really know me that well. We just met yesterday. I'm good at making first impressions, but we only spoke for like two minutes." She nodded. "Yeah, but Spike's cool with you, and Fluttershy is too. That makes you okay in my book." I smiled. "Well that makes sense. Good to have the element of loyalty on my side." Fluttershy then poked her head around the corner. "The tea is ready...I mean, if you still want some." I grinned at the cute yellow pegasus. "Some tea sounds good, Fluttershy thanks."

Dash decided to come with me when we left Fluttershy's house, so we said goodbye and were on our way back to the library. "So what ever happened to that thunderstorm that was supposed to happen today? I mean it wasn't too hot today, but I would've liked a nice storm." I inquired. She huffed a bit. "Well I said things were kinda crazy with the weather team. Seems they forgot it's harvesting season for the Apple family. Last minute they decided to schedule the storm overnight so that Applejack could get her work done during the day. Nothing bad happened, but it's annoying that they can't get things straight." I chuckled. "Seems we have a similar trait: no patience for stupidity." She barked a laugh at this. By the time we got back to town, the sun had gone down and it had started to get cold. Dash was shivering a bit, so I gently placed a wing over her. She jumped at the contact and blushed a great deal. "W-what are you doing?" I shushed her. "I run hot, so this is perfect weather for me, but you're shivering. Besides, no one is going to be out to see me at this time of night." She was still blushing a great deal, but she sighed and leaned into me, smiling. When we reached the library, she reluctantly stepped away from me and opened the door. My family, Spike, and Twilight were all sitting around the table finishing up a dinner of roasted potatoes and carrots with some salad. Dash smirked and set down her saddlebag and opened it, producing six bottles labeled "Applejack hard cider". I smiled at this. "Mmm...I've always wanted to try some of that stuff. What's the legal drinking age here?" I asked. "Fifteen. That means that everyone except Spike can have one." Twilight answered. Spike didn't seem all that put off. "It's okay, I'm good with just some regular cider." Dash passed out the bottles, and we all took a seat in the main room.

About an hour later, we were all well alcohol'ed. My sister had luckily gotten tired and gone to bed after a few sips. Legal or not, I still feel bad about her drinking. Spike was playing quarters with Mason after my brother explained the game. Kinda one-sided with only one person drinking alcohol, but it was definitely funny. My mother had headed upstairs with a book on Equestrian history, so that left Twilight, Dash, and myself on the couch together. Twilight was laying her head in my lap and I was stroking her mane softly while the three of us talked about where I came from. Twilight was very interested in our magicians, until I told her that they don't actually do magic. She frowned a bit, but then instantly brightened up when I started talking about astrophysics and space in general. Dash looked a little forlorn as she didn't really have anything to say, and was sitting all the way near the armrest of the couch. Through experimentation and feeling all day, I'd gotten familiar with how to work my wings, so I stretched out a wing and pulled her up against me. Her face lit up a bright red and Twilight giggled at her. "Aww...Dashie you're so cute when you blush." Twilight said in a teasing matter. With her face still a bright red, Dash glared at the purple mare. "Shut up, Twi. Don't make me tell him what's under your bed." Twilight nudged Dash in the shoulder. "Ah c'mon Dash, I'm just foaling around. I'm supposed to be the up tight one. Maybe you need to have a few more drinks." Dash rolled her eyes, but downed the rest of her bottle with a cough. I had a mischevious grin on my face, and winked at Twilight. I leaned over and breathed a warm breath on the side of Dash's neck. She shivered and her wings shot up. "Ah c'mon, Steel, that's not cool!" Dash yelled. I burst into laughter and so did Twilight. Dash sent us both a death stare, and my laughing calmed down a bit. I leaned over and planted a soft kiss on her head, only making her blush harder. "Ah Dash, you know we're just playin'. We mess with ya because we love ya." I said in between giggles. Her eyes twinkled a bit at this. "Yes Dash, I said I love ya. I love all my close friends, and you girls are closer friends with me than most of the people I knew back on Earth." I stated. "Oh..." she said, suddenly crestfallen. I rolled my eyes. "Okay Dash, what's the matter?" She looked away, so I grabbed her face with my hoof and made her look at me, then planted a soft quick kiss on her lips. Her eyes went wide with surprise, but then she smiled. Twilight giggled again. "Better?" I asked. She rested her head on my shoulder. "Yeah. Thanks Steel. Seems you know just what to do to make me feel better." I puffed out my chest and gave a smug look. "It's a gift, really." She shoved me, and I laughed. Twilight glanced at the clock. "Oh buck, it's 2:00am. Your brother has his meeting with Princess Celestia tomorrow. We need to get some sleep. You all better drink a lot of water. I'll not have anypony or human complaining of a hangover in front of the princess." I nodded and sent my brother and Spike off to bed with Twilight's instructions.

Twilight headed upstairs to prepare a bed for Dash and I in her room, leaving Dash with me to clean up downstairs. She kept glancing over at me like she wanted to ask something, so I decided to try to speak to her in her mind like I did Luna a night ago. _'Okay Dash, I know something's bothering you, what is it?' _She jumped, definitely not expecting it. _'Whoa...you can do this too? I thought Twi was the only one who could cast that spell besides the princesses.'_ she thought. _'Don't dance around my question Dash, what's bothering you?'_ She sighed in resignation. "Okay fine...I was just wondering how long you were going to be staying here in Equestria. I won't lie Steel...I...I really like you. I don't want you to leave. You're so much different than the other colts and stallions. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were as old as Celestia by the way you talk sometimes. How old are you by the way?" I gave her a warm smile. "Believe it or not, I'm only twenty-five. I'm guessing that's not much older than you? And as far as how long I'm staying, hopefully forever. I'm an alicorn, and that means I won't ever have to worry about death by age. I'll stay as long as the princesses let me." She gave me a surprised look. "Wow, you're only three years older than me. I'd have guessed you were thirty at least. Well I'm glad that you want to stay." she said, blushing slightly. I gave her another warm smile. "You, Luna, and Twilight are my girls, my closest friends here. I couldn't leave you, nor do I want to." She smiled at this and continued cleaning.

After we had finished cleaning up the trash and dishes, Dash and I headed up to Twi's room to go to sleep. I only saw one bed though... "Umm Twi, where's my bed? Did you set it up in another room or something?" She gave what I could only decipher was a seductive smile. "No, it's right here." she said while patting the spot next to her on the bed. I rolled my eyes. "Twi, I know you're buzzing, but I'm not having sex with anypony any time soon...and definitely not while they're drunk." She blushed furiously. "Oh no no no...I just like to cuddle is all. I'm not ready to do..._that_ with anypony." Dash giggled. I sighed in relief. "Okay good. Let's all brush our teeth really quick and get to bed." Twi and Dash both nodded. After freshening up, we all climbed into the obnoxiously large bed. "Twi, why do you have such a huge bed if it's just you sleeping in it?" Dash asked. "Well, like I said I like to cuddle. It's a lot easier to do that at sleepovers if the bed is big enough so that no one has to sleep on the floor." Dash laughed. "I knew you wanted my body at the last sleepover." Twilight rolled her eyes. I spread out my wings and they lay flat on the bed. Twilight and Dash got on either side of me and snuggled close. I wrapped my forelegs and wings around them, eliciting a sigh of happiness from both of them. I kissed them both on the forehead. "Goodnight, girls. Sleep well." They both wrapped their forelegs around me and nuzzled into my sides. _'You are such a player, you naughty colt.' _Luna quipped in my head. _'What do you mean?'_ I asked innocently. _'Two of the elements of Harmony all over you in bed? Well done. I am sure the other stallions would be very jealous.'_ she said with a mental smirk. _'How would you know that? Wait...can you see me right now?' _she giggled. _'Oops, I must have forgotten to mention that when we connect telepathically, I can see what you see if I choose to.' _I growled a bit, then smirked. _'Well I'd hate to be seen as a player in the eyes of you, Luna. Don't worry, I'll make sure never to cuddle you.'_ I could hear her gasp and feel her pout. _'N-no! I...I mean that is not what I meant to imply! I was just...'_ I chuckled in my head. _'Oh my lovely Princess Luna, you should know I was just messing with you. If you were to be with us right now, I'd be more than happy to be your warm pillow.'_ I felt her relax. _'I shall hold you to that oath.'_ I smiled. _'Goodnight Luna.'_ _'Goodnight Drew. Sleep well.' _


	5. Ch 5: Tears, Changes, and Music

**A/N - First reviews are in! Thanks a lot for the read and critiques, I really appreciate it. I'll keep the story coming, you all keep the reviews coming. While it is my story, I do want my audience to be happy with it so I'll be sure to take useful critiquing into consideration for future releases.**

**To Zuelatak_ - _Hah, I was never really going for le life changing experiences when writing this, but if you like it I'm happy. Don't worry, I've got a hell of a lot more to come, so this story won't be ending anytime soon. As long as I have fingers, I'll keep pumping out the words.**

**To Miss Heart - Well as I mention in my summery, this is a self insert, so Steel tends to be a lot easier to write. Any romantic pairing will occur later in the story. Besides, there's nothing wrong with getting tipsy and sharing a bed with a couple girls...I've done it on quite a few occasions. Jelly? And yes...my soup is tasty and full of flavor. NO, CAN'T HAZ!**

**To Absol24 - I'm not much for romances normally either, as usually they're written by and for desperate women and they tend to be all fluffy and girly. Well don't worry...this is my story, and I aim to make it quite a bit more well-rounded. Also, the story type will change as it progresses. The story as a whole focuses on friendship and the relationships of the characters, so it's going to have a slow build. The action will pick up quite a bit after the baseline is established. And thanks, 8/10 is an 80%. W00, I'm a B student!**

**I've got a lot to cover in this chapter, so it's going to be the longest one I've posted thus far.**

**That being said, ON WITH THE STORY!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters associated with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, nor the original story.**

* * *

Chapter 5: Tears, Changes, and Music

I woke up with Dash laying half on top of me, and Twilight nowhere to be found. It was still dark outside, so I gently lay Dash beside me and shimmied out of the bed. I saw a silhouette behind the balcony window, so I slowly opened the door and found Twilight outside, gazing at the night sky. She had the remnants of tears on her face, and I instantly became concerned. "Twi?" I whispered. She jumped and turned to see me. "Oh, hi Steel. I'm sorry if I woke you up." she choked out. I sat behind her and wrapped her in my wings, shielding her from the chilly night air. "What's the matter, Twi?" She let out a shudder and a sad sigh. "I had a nightmare. I've been having them more and more ever since the changelings attacked Canterlot. I'm just so afraid that this is all fake...that my friends aren't really my friends. That this is all just some ruse. I'm afraid my friends are going to leave. I don't want to be alone again..." I frowned and nuzzled her. "Listen to me Twilight, this isn't something you can conquer by trying to research or study it. You can't out-think this...you have to feel it. I know you have fears, we all do...but you need to stop thinking so much on it. Forget about what you think for a minute. What do you feel?" She sat completely still...the only indication she wasn't a statue was her heartbeat against my chest. "I feel...I feel stupid for even questioning them...and guilty for it. I feel like somehow admitting that I'm afraid is betraying them." I smiled and lay my head on her shoulder. "That's your heart speaking, Twi. Your heart is telling your head that this fear isn't needed. You know who your friends are. You feel who they are. I haven't even known them near as long as you, but I know that the connection you share with them goes beyond the elements of Harmony." She looked back at me, confused. "W-what do you mean?" I smiled. "You're the elements of Harmony because you're friends...not the other way around. Think about it." and with that, I slowly stood up and walked back inside.

Unable to sleep, I quietly descended the stairs to the library floor. I grabbed my iPod out of my bag and a small speaker. I plugged it up and then sat there, staring at it. _'Okay...no fingers...how am I supposed to do this? Man, I wish I had fingers sometimes...'_ I spaced out, thinking of some possibilities. I didn't notice a glittering, silvery aura surround my horn and my music player. I nearly jumped out of my skin when Metallica's "Mama Said" started playing. _'How?' _was all I could think. _'Hmm...I wonder...'_ I focused on my music player, and imagined the song changing to "For Mom" - Buckethead. A silver aura surrounded my music player, and the song changed. "SCORE!" I yelled, then immediately stuck my hooves over my mouth. I heard the sound of hooves on the floors above and then a door opening. Dash was standing at the top of the stairs with a groggy frown on her face. "What the hay are you yelling about? Some of us are trying to sleep." I smiled sheepishly. "Sorry Dashie, I just got a little excited. Go back to bed...I'll tell you about it later." She rolled her eyes and headed back to bed. _'Almost four days without my music...I thought I was going to go insane. Thank God for this little discovery.' _I focused on Twilight. _'Hey Twi, it's me. Come downstairs, I want to show you something I think you'll like.'_ I heard the faint sound of a door closing, and then hooves coming down the stairs. "Hey Steel, what is it?" I smirked. "Well it's two things. First of all, I wanted to show you some of my music I listen to when I'm feeling a little down. Also, I found out how to use some magic." Her eyes widened. "How did you learn how to do magic? Do you have any idea how long it took me to use my first spell?" I chuckled. "Well, I am an alicorn. Don't feel too bad though, I wasn't trying...it happened on accident the first time." She grimaced. "The fact that you weren't even trying doesn't make me feel any better..." I giggled. "Just come here, I'll show you."

After showing and explaining to Twilight how I cast the spell, I proceeded to show her my music collection. I was surprised that somehow my iPod had been changed from an 8G to a 64G, and it had all my music from my computer on it. Must've been Luna...I'll have to remember to thank her. Twi found that she liked a lot of my music, although she was a little put off by the speed metal, screamo, and similar songs. She was very interested in my player though, so I let her fool around with it while I decided to take an early-morning walk. It was only about 5:30am and the moon was just starting to reach the horizon, with the first rays of sunlight appearing in the opposite direction, so I decided to try and use my wings. I headed over to the meadow where I first met Rainbow Dash so I'd have room to crash...as much as I hated the idea. I stretched out my wings straight and gave them an experimental flap, and much to my surprise, I actually lifted off the ground about three feet before landing. Remembering my studies during high school physics on how birds fly, I decided to give it a try. I crouched down low and jumped as high as I could, at the same time giving my wings a much more forceful flap. I shot up into the air much higher than I had anticipated, and before I knew it, I was level with a cloud floating a few hundred feet off the ground. I landed on it and found it to be very soft...almost like stepping on the softest pillow imaginable. _'I can see now why Dash likes napping on these.'_ Feeling that I had made enough progress by myself, I spread my wings wide and glided all the way back to the library.

When I arrived back at Twi's place, I found she was listening to some Issac Sheapard while reading a book. She glanced up and nodded at me before returning to her reading. "Glad you enjoy the music Twi. You're welcome to it whenever you want." She nodded again, not even looking up this time. I looked at the wall clock and saw it was only 5:45am, so I headed back up to bed to try and get a little more relaxation before we had to get up. Dash was tossing and turning in her sleep, so I lay next to her. She stopped moving when her hooves touched me, and pulled herself up against me, a smile on her face. _'Bitches on my dick!'_ I grimaced. "Shut up brain...just...shut up." I said to myself.

I ended up falling back asleep, and before I knew it I was startled awake by a sharp pain in my right foreleg. Dash was smiling. "What the hay, Dash. I was having a good dream!" She laughed. "Well I tried being more gentle, but you didn't budge. Desperate times call for desperate measures. C'mon, get up. We got to get ready for the meeting with Celestia." I grumbled, rising out of the comfy bed. Dash and I headed to the bathroom to get cleaned up. She brushed her teeth and I turned on the shower and stepped into the cool water. Dash blushed furiously.

"Umm Steel, you could've asked me to leave if you were taking a shower."

"Why?"

"Well...um...because you're taking a shower."

"So?"

"So...aren't you embarrassed?"

"We walk around naked anyway, why does it matter?"

"Well...umm...hm. You know, I don't really know."

"We'll get you trained yet, young padawan."

"What's a padawan?"

"Erm...nevermind..."

After my shower - and Dash's extreme embarrassment - we headed downstairs for breakfast. I was quite pleased to find eggs and hash browns with toast. "Ah wow...I haven't had a breakfast like this for years!" I exclaimed. Twilight giggled. "Yeah, your brother recommended it. I have to say, I'm not sure why we never thought of this before. It's pretty good, and Spike is a good cook." Spike beamed. I sat down with my family at the table and was joined shortly by Spike, Twilight, and Dash. We talked about things ranging from magic to WWII. Twilight was intrigued, but also confused and saddened as to how humans could think it's okay to kill thousands of their own kind. "Humans are like that Twi, that's why in all honesty, I don't miss Earth much at all. Land disputes, religion, even something so simple as a pair of shoes...if it causes a disagreement between two parties, people will fight - and sometimes kill - over it. It's what we call human nature. That's part of the reason why the ponies of Equestria are so popular there. Equestria is the ideal paradise...where a great tragedy is considered to be cotton candy clouds raining chocolate milk. On Earth, we use our ingenuity to maim, kill, and destroy." I said with a sad look. "But what about you...you're not like that Steel." Twilight answered. I smiled sadly. "Not all humans are like that Twi, but the potential to be that way is always there. Here in Equestria the line between good and evil is well-defined. Humans don't have that...we have to make our own judgment on what's good and evil. I have a saying that so many people on my world don't agree with, because it makes them look at themselves introspectively...and it scares them. 'Good and evil are matters of perspective.' Humans have the potential for both, and those two forces are battling for supremacy at all times within us. Then of course there's the fact that sometimes the ends justify the means. For example, assassinating someone is considered okay so long as it's 'for the greater good'...but where do you draw the line for what's acceptable and what's not? That's the question that no one can ever answer." Twilight furrowed her brow in thought. "Wow...I didn't know things were so complicated. Humans are much harder to figure out than I thought." I cracked a genuine smile. "Well Twi in all honesty, there's still some things about myself I still don't understand, so I'm right there with you." She smiled back at me, and we all finished breakfast.

It was about 10:00am when the carriage Celestia sent for us arrived. The guards nodded at us and we all boarded it as quickly as possible to avoid anypony seeing my family. We took to the air with a jolt that startled my sister a bit. "So Twi," I started, "who all is going to be there?" She put a hoof to her head in thought. "Well I know that obviously the princesses are going to be there, and all of the other elements will be as well. We'll have to hold a sort of conference with the ponies in Ponyville for your brother when we get back so that they don't fear him. Beyond that, I don't know." She seemed nervous, so I placed a hoof around her shoulder. "Don't worry Twi, it'll be alright. I promise. I wouldn't even consider this if I didn't trust my brother." She relaxed a bit and smiled weakly. "I know, it's just that I don't know how the ponies will act towards him. Spike's different, he's a baby dragon and everypony knows I raised him from an infant. Your brother is going to be taller than you, and a dragon that no one's seen before." I smiled. "Well, if it takes me revealing that I'm an alicorn to ease things, I'll do it. The ponies in town are more likely to respect and believe an alicorn when he says 'the dragon's ok'. I don't really feel comfortable with causing that sort of commotion, but if it comes to that, so be it." Dash smiled at me. "You really care about your brother a lot. I wish I'd grown up with a brother like you." I chuckled. "Well Dash, believe me when I say that we've had our share of sibling rivalries and fights." I pointed to a scar above my eye, and one on my chest. "But yes, I trust him and he trusts me." My brother laughed from the other side of the carriage while looking at the window. "You shouldn't have eaten my pizza."

We arrived at the palace gate about thirty minutes later and were quickly shuffled inside to the throne room by guards. My family stopped dead in their tracks. "Whoa..." was my sister's only response. The throne room was larger than our entire house had been back on Earth, and was covered in ornate tapestries showing Celestia's and Luna's cutie marks. The rest of the elements were waiting beside the princesses, a bouncing Pinkie Pie almost making me laugh. We slowly strode forward until we were at the steps leading up to the thrones. We all bowed in reverence to the two monarchs. "Arise. Welcome to Canterlot, capitol city of Equestria. I am Princess Celestia." said the alabaster alicorn. Luna smiled exuberantly. "And I am Princess Luna. We have already met, but it is a pleasure to see you again under less tense circumstances." I stifled a laugh. Twilight and Dash took their places near the thrones, next to their friends. Celestia advanced upon my brother, smiling. "Hello Mason, Spike has told me much about you." He snorted, stifling a guffaw. "Nothing bad, I hope?" Celestia giggled. "Do not worry. There is nothing wrong with enjoying yourself with friends. So, I've been told that you've decided to stay and have chosen a form. Am I correct?" Mason nodded. "Very well...let us see what we have to work with." With that, Celestia placed her horn upon my brother's head while closing her eyes, and it gave off a soft golden glow. She pulled away a few seconds later, smiling warmly "Ah, I see. Well then, we can do that. Luna, if you please." Luna walked up next to her sister. They took places on opposite sides of Mason, and their horns began to glow brightly. I had to raise a hoof to shield my eyes from the intense light. When the light faded, I found myself looking at a white and blue swirling cocoon-like thing. The cocoon congealed, and began to take shape. With another bright flash, a figure stood where the cocoon had been. It was a tall black scaled body with a long barbed tail, wings, and small brown spikes protruding from its elbows. There were red spines leading from its tail up its back to the top of its head, with four rear-facing brown horns with red rings around them adorning the skull. It turned around to look at me, and I found myself staring at a large toothy-grinned face with pale gold eyes. Brown also was found on the chest and stomach "Hey Drew, how do I look?" Celestia tapped him on the shoulder and gestured to a large mirror that hung on the wall behind the thrones. Mason stepped up the stairs, the elements making way for him. He gazed into the mirror, marveling at his new appearance. "Oh yeah...I look goooood..." I chuckled. "Well I'm glad to see the change hasn't had an effect on your personality." He glared at me. "Shut up...I look awesome. You're just jealous." I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Okay, maybe a little. You do look pretty boss." _'Hey Steel, you do know that there's such things as transformation spells, right? Once you're powerful enough, you could change into almost anything you can think of.'_ Twilight spoke in my head. I grinned and nodded to her.

After saying goodbye to the two princesses, we were ready to leave. Luckily the princesses agreed to just teleport us, and next thing we knew, we were all back at the library - the other elements of Harmony included. Spike was busy cleaning up the library when we arrived. "Oh hey guys, how'd it go? Did everything go accor-" He stopped and stared wide-eyed at Mason. "Who's the new guy?" I stood up on my hind legs and threw a hoof around my brother's neck. Luckily when standing like this, I was taller than him. "Spike, this is Mason. Celestia came through." Spike smiled so big, I was afraid his face would crack. "COOL! I'M NOT THE ONLY DRAGON ANYMORE!" I laughed. "Nope, and I'm sure you guys will get into plenty of trouble-erm...I mean fun together." Twilight glared at me, then looked sternly at the two of them. "If you two cause any trouble, I'll banish you to the moon myself." Spike and Mason both rolled their eyes. "Ah Twi, you're such a killjoy." Spike retorted. "Hey, I am not! I know how to have fun. I just don't want you two's fun to be at the expense of breaking everything around town." Mason laughed. "Don't worry, Twilight Sparkle. We'll be good. Promise." "You better..." Twilight mumbled.

It was only about 3:00pm when we had gotten back, so we all ate a late lunch, much to the delight of our grumbling stomachs. Twilight had left shortly thereafter to speak with Mayor Mare to set up the announcement, and Rarity bid goodbye to us before heading back to her boutique...something about a huge order that just came up. That left Pinkie, Applejack, RD, Fluttershy, Spike,my family, and myself at the library. Spike decided to head to the small field behind the library to teach Mason how to breathe fire(which I thought was a bad idea, but meh...whatever), and my sister and mother went upstairs to clean up. This left me downstairs with four girls...all of them staring at me. _'Great...this has bad news written all over it.'_ Deciding to break the awkward tension, I spoke first. "So umm...lovely weather we're having, huh?" They all gave half-hearted agreements. I sighed. "Okay...what's going on? You're all looking like Pinkie did when she thought you girls didn't like her anymore." Applejack laughed. "Nah sugarcube, we're all raht. It's just..." I cocked my head. "Just what?" She sighed. "It's just that...well...ya'll are so nice ta us. Twi told us what yer world was like...and we just don' get it." I was now even more confused. "What's not to get?" Fluttershy finally spoke up. "Well...umm...your world was so..._mean_. How did you turn out like you did? Umm...I'm sorry...I didn't mean it like that. I mean, you're just so _nice_ to strangers. We're just not sure we believe what you told Twilight." I sighed in annoyance. "Look girls...I told Twilight the truth. I was abandoned by both a father and step-father. I was bullied all throughout my school years, and I was alienated because of my thought processes. Could I be mean? Yeah. Do I get angry sometimes? Yes, I do. Do I get sad? Yes. A long time ago though I learned that happiness and kindness are not something that just happens to you...not just something you feel. They're a choice. They're part of who you are. Being - as Pinkie would call it - 'a mean ol' meanie mcmeaner pants' wouldn't change the past...and it would only hurt those around me. Besides, I have a new life here. I won't forget my past, but neither am I going to let it decide my future." Applejack frowned. "How old are ya? Ya kinda sound like Granny Smith." I chuckled and smiled at Dash. "Dash asked me the same question. Twenty-five, and full of life. I know, doesn't make sense, does it?" Applejack's mouth hung open. "Wow...Ah'd ah thought ya'll were at least thirdy or somethin'..." I grinned. "Thanks I guess? I feel old now. Dash said the same exact thing." They all laughed. "Well," said Pinkie, "we'll just have to make your party a 'Feel Young' party!" I burst into laughter, the rest of the girls joining in.

Shortly after my little discussion, Spike and Mason walked back in the house, Mason covered in burns. Mason was yelling at Spike angrily. "Well you could've told me it'd get that big! That hurt!" I snorted. "That's what she said! Use some lube next time!" Mason glared at me. "Shut the fu-...just shut up." Twilight then walked back in the front door. "Well, everything's all set up. We'll be having the announcement in the town square at 5:00pm. I'll teleport Mason to the tent there so as to avoid a panic." I looked at the clock...4:30pm. "Okay, well Mason, you should go get cleaned up. Meet us down here after you're done. Shower's kinda small for you, so please be careful." He nodded. Twilight looked over to me with a quizzical expression. "What happened to him?" I laughed. "Fire...lots of fire. You can thank Spike for that." She glanced at the small dragon and giggled. "Yeah...Spike had the same problem when he first started learning." She then stared at me. "So I meant to ask you...how did you figure out how to use Spellspeech and that other spell? The one you used on that...music-thingy. I've never heard of a spell like that before." I smiled. "Well I don't mean to make you seem ignorant, but they were both accidents. The 'Spellspeech' as you called it was me just thinking a goodnight to Luna while thinking about her. As far as the other spell, it makes sense you've never heard of such a spell. As far as I know, mp3 players don't exist here, do they?" Twilight tilted her head in thought. "Well, I don't know about if they're called mp3, but if anyone would know it'd be Vinyl Scratch, the DJ here in Ponyville." I smiled. "I'll have to set aside some time to meet her at some point I'm sure she'll like a lot of my music."

Mason made his way downstairs and thankfully looked significantly less charred. Twilight nudged me. "Okay, I need you to head to the square with the rest of the girls. Contact me when you're inside the tent. I'll need you there to pinpoint where to teleport Mason." I nodded and strode out the door. Dash huffed. "Ugh...do we really need to walk there? This is going to take forever." I smiled. "Well actually..." and with that I took off in the air. Dash just stared at me, dumbfounded. "How? Did someone train you in the few hours you were away from me?" I laughed. "Nah...remember when I accidentally woke you up this morning? Well I couldn't get back to sleep, so I went to that meadow where I first met you and practiced. Through my understanding with physics and air dynamics, I've got the basics down. I'm probably not going to be anywhere near as fast as you, but I can fly just fine." She accepted this and smiled. "Well then, let's get going, shall we?" I nodded, then looked at Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. "Go ahead you two. I'll walk with Pinkie and we'll meet you there." Stated the yellow pegasus. I nodded. "Okay girls, see you later!" With that, Dash and I shot into the air.

Dash was ahead of my by a large margin, and flew on her back in a back-stroke motion. "C'mon Steel, you're too slow. I'm getting bored over here!" I growled and flapped my wings harder, shooting past her in a gust of wind. "Whoa..." she exclaimed as she tumbled a bit through the air. She grinned with a confident smile and chased after me, easily gaining and overtaking me. "Is that all you got?" she yelled back. _'Faster...'_ I thought. I felt a tingling in my wings, and then heat. I started gaining on her. All of the sudden...time seemed to slow down for a moment, before I shot forward, my ears ringing from a loud boom. I looked in front of me to see a wave of crackling white energy spreading across the sky. I noticed all too late that I was on a collision course with Dash. Before I could turn to avoid her, I slammed into her, causing us both to tumble from the sky. She was knocked unconscious, and my left wing had been dislocated. _'No, no no! I can't let this happen! Not now...'_ I used my good wing and adjusted my fall trajectory so that I could reach her. I reached out with both my forelegs and drew her close to me. With a resounding pop and a scream of pain, I stretched out my left wing, forcing the bone back into place. A few seconds before hitting the ground, I opened my wings to slow our descent. The muscles burned like they'd been set on fire, but held and the fall slowed to a soft glide. I landed on the ground, thankful for the soft grass and collapsed.

I was awakened a few minutes later by a teary-eyed Rainbow Dash, shaking me and screaming my name. "Wha-what's going on? Dash! Are you ok?" She embraced me tight and cried hysterically...then she punched me on the side of the jaw. "Ow! What was that for?" She glared at me. "Don't _ever_ do that again." I grinned. "You can't stop me from flying Dashie." She shoved me and held her stern gaze. "I'm not kidding Steel. I thought you..." she started crying again. Still laying on the ground, I reached out and pulled her close to me. "Shhh...it's alright Dash. I'm sorry I scared you. I'm alright though. I'm not going anywhere any time soon." She smiled at me finally. "Okay...just...be more careful." I cocked an eyebrow. "Ms daredevil is telling me to be careful? Call the press! Alert the authorities!" She pushed away from me and giggled. "Alright alright, enough. We still have to meet at the town square. C'mon, let's get going." I started to walk off when Dash stopped me. "Steel...y-you got your cutie mark!" I looked back at my flank. I had honestly never even thought of not having a cutie mark once since I got here...but there it was. It was a silver shield in front of a shadow and in the bottom right corner of the shield...Dash's cutie mark? "Huh...that's odd." I said. "No, that's awesome!" Dash exclaimed. I rolled my eyes. "No, I mean look in the bottom right of the shield. See that little mark? Do you recognize that?" She stepped closer and squinted at it...then with wide eyes looked at her cutie mark...then back to mine... "Is...is that my cutie mark? What's that doing there?" I shook my head. "Hey, I'm just as confused as you are. What do you think it means?" She stared at my flank for a few minutes. "Like what you see?" I said with a grin. She snorted in annoyance. "It's just...I've never seen a cutie mark like that before. I think you should ask the princesses about this." I nodded. "Okay, but in the meantime we have somewhere we need to be." She nodded and we headed into town.

We arrived at the square with a few minutes to spare. I'd found the tent that Twilight spoke about and stepped inside. I focused on Twilight and made contact. _'Okay Twi. I'm in the tent. You guys can come whenever you're ready. Try not to drop on top of me please.' _I heard her giggle. _'No promises. Okay, here we come...'_ I felt the air around me warm up a bit, along with the faint sound of an electric hum. A bright flash of purple light blinded me, and there was Mason and Twilight, standing before me. "Hey Twi, hey Mace. How nice of you to drop in." They grinned. "Okay, so are we ready to do this?" They both nodded. "Let me head out first with Steel and we'll introduce you. Wait until we call you." Twilight said to Mason. He nodded. Twilight and I then walked out to the small stage that had been erected(giggity) for this event. Twilight stepped to the front of the stage next to the mayor, her horn glowing softly. The mayor turned to address the crowd, speaking in a magically amplified voice. "Citizens of Ponyville, as you can see, we've had a new addition to our humble town." she pointed at me and the crowd cheered. I stepped forward. "Umm...hello there. My name is Steelbreaker, and it's a pleasure to be welcomed by all of you to your beautiful town." The mayor nodded and then turned back to the crowd. "However, that is not the only reason why you've been gathered here today. We have another new addition to this town. However, this newcomer is not a pony. He is different, but I ask you to please accept and welcome him just the same." Twilight stepped forward and nodded. "Yes...he is a personal friend of myself and Steelbreaker's. I want to let you know that you are in no danger, and I can assure you he is just like the rest of us. Please welcome Darkflight." With that, my brother exited the tent, to a large collective gasp from the crowd. He stepped next to me. "Nice name." I whispered to him. He cracked a grin. The ponies all stared at him in...fear? Oh no...this isn't going like I'd hoped. "You brought a dragon here? What's wrong with you?" someone shouted. Mason winced at this. Twilight glared at the crowd. "Did you forget Spike? He is a dragon too. Everyone in town likes Spike. Why should this dragon be different?" I nodded. The crowd didn't seem any less fearful. I growled. _'Twi...I think I'm going to have to do it anyway.' _She closed her eyes and gave a soft nod. _'Well I guess I won't be needing the enchantment on my wings anymore after this. Can you just remove it now?' _She nodded again and her horn glowed brightly. I flared my wings and the crowd gasped in shock. Moments passed before anyone spoke. "A-a-an alicorn?" The crowd began to bow. I raised my hoof. "Please don't bow, I'm not royalty and nor am I related to the princesses. I did this to make a point...that appearances can be deceiving. All of you have been friendly to me...are all of you going to start treating me differently just because of what I am? I'd thought you all were better than treating someone different simply because of how they look." I said with a growl. A white unicorn with duel-hued electric-blue mane and goggles walked up. _'Vinyl Scratch.' _"No...no we won't." then she looked back at the crowd, "RIGHT?" They all smiled and nodded. I grinned, as did my brother. "Good...then I am pleased. Well everyone, it's been a long day, and with that we'll take our leave." The crowed roared in thunderous cheers and the stamping of hooves. I turned to Vinyl Scratch, who was smiling at me. "Hello miss Scratch, my name is Steelbreaker. It's a pleasure to meet a fellow musician." She gasped and lifted her goggles off her face to reveal two crimson eyes. "You make music too? Thank Celestia! I thought Tavi and I were the only ones!" she tackled me to the ground and hugged me tight. I laughed. "Whoa there cowgirl, you're gonna have to buy me a drink first." She stepped off of me, blushing. "S-sorry...I don't know what came over me." I waved her off. "It's cool. Tell ya what, I don't think I have anything going on tomorrow. I have some music that I'd really like to show you if you have the time. I have a feeling you'd really like the style." Her smile threatened to pull her face apart. "Awesome! Sure, if you're free drop on by tomorrow. Twilight knows the address." I nodded. "It's a date!" She blushed, her entire face turning red. "W-well...umm...ok." I laughed. "I didn't mean it like that, Vinyl Scratch. I just meant we're meeting up to hang...and it just happens to be at your place." I then leaned in close and whispered. "Although I'm sure you'll get a kick out of Octavia's face if you told her an alicorn is coming over for a date with you." She giggled. "Yeah, that could be fun. Okay then, I guess I'll see you tomorrow!" I nodded.

Mason, Twilight and I all arrived back at the library at around 6:00pm, the sun just touching the horizon and the chilly air of autumn blowing. We opened the door to find Luna speaking to Spike, and she turned her head to smile at us. "Hi Luna!" I greeted. She trotted over and embraced me in a hug. "It is good to see you, Steel. I just thought I would drop by with a gift for Mason, or Darkflight as he is now called." Darkflight nodded. "Wow...thanks for the gift princess, what is it?" She motioned to a door down the hall. "The only place it would fit was the basement. I hope you do not mind when you see it." He shrugged his shoulders. We all headed down to the basement, and where once was an unfinished basement was an apartment, complete with violet walls and violet carpeting. Lastly, was a large comfortable bed, a bit taller than Twilight's. Darkflight's eyes were wide and he was smiling in delight. "This...is...AWESOME!" Luna smiled. "Well I spoke to Twilight and it was her idea. The bed was mine though. I hope you like it." With that he lay down on the bed...and he fit. "Dude...this is one of the best gifts I've ever gotten. Screw an Xbox, screw Iron Maiden concert tickets...this is awesome!" He hopped off the bed and wrapped Luna in a bone-crushing bear hug...er...dragon hug I guess. She coughed. "Too tight...can't breathe...air!" He released her and scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Heh...sorry about that." Then he walked towards Twilight, and she backed up in fear. "No no! A thank you is enough, and you're welcome." He smiled. "Thanks Twilight. I appreciated it, really." She smiled. "Just don't set it on fire." He laughed and glanced around the room. "It could use a little more of a personal touch though." He tapped a claw against his lips. "Hmm...I guess I better get started." We left him to do...whatever he was going to do and headed upstairs.

My and Twilight's stomachs were roaring at us when we got upstairs, much to the entertainment of Luna, so Spike made us each a daisy and lettuce sandwich. I just stared at it. Twilight nudged me. "Aren't you hungry?" I sighed. "Well yeah, but I'm not sure about this. I hope my taste buds adapted along with my new body..." and with that, I took a bite. The best way I can describe it was that it tasted just like a chicken sandwich with lettuce. Daisy = chicken...who knew? I smiled and wolfed the whole thing down. "Wow...that was good. I'm kinda interested as to how the rest of your foods taste now. Thanks for the sandwich Spike!" Spike nodded with a smile and Luna giggled. Luna then stood and smiled at me. "Well it was wonderful to see all of you again, but I fear it is time for me to go for now. I hope to see all of you again very soon." I stood up with her. "I'll walk you out, Luna." She smiled and nodded. I escorted Luna out and closed the door behind me. "I want to thank you again Luna...I know I've already thanked you but...these few days in Equestria have been some of the best of my entire life." She smiled warmly and embraced me in a tight hug. "It was my pleasure, Steelbreaker. Hopefully soon you and I can spend some more time together. Things have just been very hectic at the palace lately. Celestia has informed me that a 'break' of sorts may be coming soon, so gods willing I can make a personal visit for a few days." I smiled. "Yeah...I'd like that. Don't be a stranger now, you can always write a letter to me or any of us." She smiled back. "I may just do that. Thank you Steel...I am glad you are here." We broke the embrace, and the lunar princess flew off into the night.

After walking back inside, Twilight had a big grin on her face and she was staring at me. I shifted nervously. "What? Do I have a booger in my nose or something?" She giggled and then continued grinning. "Steel and Luna sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G..." I rolled my eyes, then smirked. "Well fine then...since you like to make fun of ponies, no more cuddles for you." She gasped. "But that's not fair!" I laughed. "Aw, I was only kidding Twi. Besides, you make a good teddy bear." She looked confused. "What's a teddy bear?" I smiled. "Stuffed animal toy. Used for the same thing that you used to use Smarty Pants for. Nice to snuggle." She blushed. "Well then I'm flattered." I grinned. "You should be. Not just anyone gets to sleep in the same bed as me." With that I walked to the kitchen to grab a glass of water, when Twilight's gasp stopped me. I turned around. "What?" She pointed at me. "You got your cutie mark!" I facehoofed. "Ah man...I forgot to ask the princess about that." She looked confused. "Ask her about what?" I walked closer to her and pointed to it. "Look at the bottom right of the shield. What does that look like?" She leaned in a bit and her mouth dropped open. "That's Rainbow Dash's cutie mark...why is that there? You have a cutie mark on your cutie mark!" _'Yo dawg, I heard you like cutie marks..'_ "Shut up brain...not now..." I mumbled. Twilight was still bewildered. "When did this happen?" I then walked her through the whole morning with Dash. After running through it, she was staring at me pensively. "Well...a couple things have happened." she said, "One, it seems that you activated a wing-enhancement spell. Since alicorns are the only ponies to have both wings and magic horns, they're the only ponies that can cast the spell. What's confusing is that with this as well as the other two spells you've learned, you seem to be using spells without even learning them. Secondly - and I might be wrong on this - it looks like Rainbow Dash's cutie mark is on yours _because _you protected her. I have to say, I've never seen a cutie mark like that. We should really ask the princesses about this." I nodded. "Yeah, Dash said the same thing regarding my cutie mark. If you can, please send a letter to the princess so she knows about this. I'd really like to know what's going on, and something this..._rare_...I'm sure she'd like to know about it." She nodded in agreement and took out a parchment, quill, and ink well. She scribbled furiously for a few minutes and then placed her quill in the ink well. "There...I think that should be sufficient. Spike? Can you come here please?" she said. _'Hmm...I wonder...'_ I raised a hoof. "Hey Twi, let me see that...I want to try something." She looked confused, but nodded. I focused on Princess Celestia until I could feel her presence, then imagined...almost _asked_ the parchment to go to her. The scroll floated into the air covered by a silver aura, and then disappeared with a small flash and *pop* sound. I did a hoof-pump. "Yeah! I didn't think that would work. Who da man? I da man..." I said, much to the utter shock of both Twilight and Spike. Twilight spoke first. "Did you just do what I think you did?" I shrugged. "Only one way to find out." A few minutes passed, and then Spike burped a green flame, out of which a scroll materialized. Twilight grabbed it with her magic and began to read. She placed the scroll on the table and stared at me. "Well?" I asked. She looked like she'd seen a book for the first time. "Well, the princess definitely wants to meet you as soon as possible. Also, she put in here how the scroll you sent appeared like it did, instead of by Spike's green flame. She's confused to say the least." I nodded. "Okay, well I promised Vinyl I'd see her tomorrow if I had free time. If you can send a letter back to the princess and tell her I'd be glad to meet her in the early morning, that'd be sweet." Twilight nodded and began to write another letter, while I cantered over to the kitchen. _'Things just get weirder and weirder...'_ I walked out with my glass of water just in time to see Spike burn up the scroll, sending it off to the princess. "So, this has been one hay of a day, would't you say?" I quipped. Twilight nodded. "You're just one mystery after another. I'd ask to study you if I even had the slightest idea of how or where to start, but I'm completely baffled by all this." I nodded in agreement. "Remember Twi, you're talking to a former-human who used to think this world was somewhere he would never get to see in his wildest dreams. Yet here I am. Baffled doesn't even begin to explain the way I'm feeling." Spike and Twilight laughed, and then Spike burped another scroll out. Twilight grabbed it and read quickly through. "Okay Steel, she'll be meeting you in the throne room at 7:00am." I looked at the clock. "Ah buck, it's almost 11:30. I'm going to take a shower and then I'm off to bed, Twi." She nodded. "Okay, I'll be up in a minute." Spike was grinning. "Steel and Twilight, sitting in a tree..." his voice faded as I entered the bathroom. I quickly washed the day off of my body, wincing as I brushed my left wing. A quick drying and brushing of teeth, and I headed off to bed. Twilight was sitting out on the balcony with the door open. I trotted out and sat next to her. She was looking up at the stars again. "You know," Twilight started, "I used to look out at these stars when I was little. I used to wonder if there were other worlds out there. I used to have little daydreams about meeting an alien or something. Now...here you are." I laughed. "Well I'm hardly an alien, Twi. I speak the same language, have a lot of the same mannerisms, and I'm now even the same species as the princesses." She nodded. "Yes but you still come from another world, where so many things are different. It's exciting in a way." I chuckled. "Well then your dreams have come true I guess. Don't worry, I won't be taking you to my alien mothership or anything." She laughed loudly. "Good. I'm not so good with flying."

We headed back inside and I plopped down on the bed, laying on my back. After closing the doors and turning off the light, Twilight joined me, snuggling into my chest. I pulled the covers over us and she wrapped a foreleg around my stomach. "Hey Steel?" I looked down. "Yeah Twi?" She sighed a bit before continuing. "Did you have a marefriend back on Earth?" I let out a loud sigh. "Well on Earth we call them girlfriends, but yeah...I've had a few over the course of my life." She was silent for a moment. "Would you ever date someone like Luna, or Rainbow Dash...or me?" I sighed again...I knew this would be coming sooner or later. "Yeah...I suppose I would. I care about all of you a lot, and friendship is a great foundation for any relationship." She yawned and nuzzled my chest again. "Okay...well goodnight Steel." I was a little confused, but smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Goodnight, Twi."


	6. Ch 6: The Princess and the Bass Drop

**A/N: Well I think the last chapter went pretty well, and hopefully I can start rounding out the story a little more. I know that as any self-respecting writer/reader, we always wonder what the other characters are thinking in a first-person perspective story. I'll be trying out some character perspective changes in here, so as to add a little more depth to the story. As always, R&R, your comments are always appreciated.**

**To Absol 24 - Well I'm glad you liked chapter 5, I worked really hard on it and had a lot of fun writing it. Luckily I found I'd gotten to a point in the story where I could safely start livening things up without things seeming too chaotic and losing the flowing feel that I'm shooting for in my writing. I'll be keeping things rolling in that same direction. Your honest opinions are appreciated too, thanks.**

**To amberlee33 - Well thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying the story thus far. Yep, little Luna has a bit of a crush, and through some perspective changes, you'll be able to understand exactly what her and the other girls are thinking.**

**Let the glittery magic continue!(what? glitter is pretty...sh-shut up...)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters associated with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, nor the original story.**

* * *

Chapter 6: The Princess and the Bass Drop

"Ugh...where am I? Wh-where are my clothes!" I scrambled out of bed and fell backwards, hitting my muzzle on a dresser behind me, starting a nosebleed. "Great, just what I need this morning." I grumbled. Twilight came running upstairs and burst through the bedroom door. "What's all the noi- oh Celestia, are you okay Steel?" I nodded. "Yeah yeah, I'll be fine. Just get me some tissues or gauze or something so I don't mess up your nice floor." She nodded and bolted out the door, returning a moment later with a wad of bathroom tissue, levitating it to my nose. I grabbed it and held it there with my hoof, shaking my head in frustration. "So what happened?" she asked after a moment. "Well apparently my subconscious hasn't caught on to the fact that I don't wear clothes anymore. I woke up, realized I wasn't wearing anything, and freaked. Your dresser made a nice place to land my nose." I said with a smile. She grimaced. "Maybe you should be more careful from now on. I'd hate to have to rush you to Ponyville General because you got out of bed the wrong way." I laughed. "Yeah, it'd make a funny story though."

After stopping the bleeding from my now-sore nose, I floated downstairs to meet Darkflight and Spike. _'Walking is so overrated. Dash might be on to something.'_ My brother took one look at me and bursted out laughing, Spike following suit. "Ha ha ha, laugh it up guys." I said, grabbing a bottle of apple juice from the fridge. I looked at my brother. "Okay man, so first things first while I'm out and when I get back...we need to find jobs of some sort." He frowned. "Yeah...I know. I just hope someone will hire me. Not many dragons around here." I nodded. "It'll be hard, but I don't feel right about mooching off of Twi. We need to contribute in some way. Go see Fluttershy, I'm sure she can help you out, or at least point you in the right direction." He nodded in agreement. "Wait...where are you going?" I took a sip of juice and smacked my lips. _'That's damn good! I gotta get some more of this stuff...'_ "Well, I'll be heading back to the palace. Princess Celestia wants to see me about some things that have been going on regarding my magic." Spike and Dark's eyes widened. "You can do magic? Already? How is that even possible?" Spike asked, shocked. I shrugged. "I'm no really sure, but apparently I've already been able to cast three spells without practice, one of which shouldn't even exist." My brother smirked. "Oh yeah? Well I can breathe fire...can you do that? I don't think so." I laughed. "I'm an alicorn, Mace. I'm sure with enough training and practice I can do pretty much anything. All the same, my skin is awful squishy compared to yours, so you got me there." He laughed. I heard Twilight finally descending the stairs, a strange look on her face. "Umm Twi...are you ok? What's up?" She looked at me and I could have swore she turned a little green. "S-sorry Steel. I'm just a little squeamish around blood. I'll be okay, I just need a glass of water." I nodded, finishing off my juice and walking with Twilight to the kitchen to throw the bottle away. As I entered the kitchen, Twilight took one look at me, and started dry-heaving in the sink. I walked over to her and rubbed her back. "It's okay Twi, I'm here for you. I guess the good news is that at least you haven't had anything to eat yet." She smiled weakly, and I handed a glass to her. "Thanks Steel." she said with a slight grimace. I frowned a bit. "Well I guess I better go then. I don't want to make you sicker, and I need to get to the palace. Hope you feel better Twi." She nodded and I left.

After stepping outside the library, I quickly took to the skies. I decided I'd cast the same spell I used in the race with Dash, so I focused on the same feeling I had at that time...even thinking of the need to go faster. I felt the same sensation of warmth in my wings, and the illusion of time slowing down, before I shot forward again, the same wave of electric white energy expanding in all directions. The mountain city that was once looming in the distance was coming up very fast. Thinking I had a feel on how my magic worked, I focused on the spell dissipating, and the warmth left my wings while I slowed down at the same time. I flared my wings and glided softly to the front gates to the surprise of the two guards stationed there. Composing themselves quickly, the one on the left spoke in a stern manner to me. "State your name and business here." I folded my wings at my sides, the left still throbbing with a bit of pain. "My name is Steelbreaker, and I was summoned by Princess Celestia." The guards looked at each other and nodded. "Very well, the princess is expecting you, Steelbreaker. Follow me and I will escort you to the throne room." said the same guard. I nodded and followed the guard through the winding halls of the palace. When we came upon two massive doors with a diorama of the two princesses, the guard knocked loudly. "Please enter." said a familiar voice from inside. The guard pushed the door open and walked inside, with me following behind him. The sun princess was sitting on her throne, an infinitely warm yet infinitely comforting grin on her face. Upon reaching the thrones, the guard and I bowed respectfully. "You may rise." she said softly. She then nodded at the guard. "You may go, thank you." The guard nodded and proceeded out of the throne room. Celestia stood up and walked over to me, before surprising me with a hug. I gently returned the embrace and smiled when she broke it. "It is good to see you again, Steelbreaker. How are things?" she asked. I shrugged. "Things seem to be going pretty well so far. We've come across an issue that will need solving, but nothing we can't handle, I think." She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, and what would that be?" I smiled sheepishly. "Well your highness, my brother and I are now seeking employment somewhere, as we both feel we are being a burden on your student. I don't feel it's right to be taking advantage of hospitality, no matter how readily it's given." She smiled. "Well Steelbreaker, I am sure that you will be able to easily find employment in the town. Darkflight however will be a different matter. Though your announcement to the town yesterday was successful in quelling any fears the ponies would have of him, I believe it is safe to say they would still feel uncomfortable employing him. Perhaps I have a solution: I have need of a smithy here in the palace to forge the armor and weapons of the guards, as well as other metallic objects. If he is not successful in finding suitable employment in Ponyville, assure him that I have work for him here if he's interested." I nodded and smiled. "Thank you princess...you are most kind. I will pass that information along when I return to the town." She nodded, but then her face changed to inquiry. "So, Steelbreaker, Twilight informs me of some big changes that have happened the past two days. May I see your cutie mark?" I nodded and walked closer to the princess, as she gazed at the mark on my flank. Her face contorted to...confusion? "What is the matter princess?" I asked. She sighed. "Steelbreaker, is that Rainbow Dash's cutie mark...on your cutie mark?" I nodded. "Yes...Twilight and Dash seemed to have the same reaction. However, after I told Twilight the story of how it appeared, she seems to think that it looks like that because of the protection I extended to Dash. It makes sense, as my cutie mark appeared as it is right after that." She nodded. "Yes, that does make sense to me as well. Now on to the second matter...you are able to cast magic as well I hear. And without training? This is unheard of, Steelbreaker. Even I and my sister were forced to train for days on end before mastering a spell. It appears you have an inborn ability for magic and its applications." I cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "Inborn ability? That doesn't make sense...I was born a human. We don't even have real magic where I come from." She shook her head. "This is true that humans cannot use magic, but your mind and being was built to use it. Gaining the body of an alicorn seems to have awakened this latent attribute within you." I mulled it over for a moment. "You know if you'd told me that four days ago, I'd have called you crazy...but it does make sense. So it's almost like...like I was born in the wrong world?" She nodded. "Yes. My sister and I understand many things, but even we do not fully understand the pairing of essence to body. It is almost as if you were meant to be born into a world or universe that has magic...but things were changed at the last moment. I am curious as to just how versatile your magic is. What have you discovered thus far?" I thought for a moment. "Well, I am able to use Spellspeech. I was able to access and interface with my mp3 player without even touching it, I am able to cast a wing-enhancement spell for flight, and I was the one that sent the first letter last night. Beyond that, I'm still learning my limitations." She looked pensive for a moment before speaking. "Well Steelbreaker that is...unexpected. You appear to be a spellbender." I just stared at her. "A spellbender? What's that?" She giggled a bit. "A spellbender is a powerful magic user that has the ability to both use and create spells. Starswirl the Bearded was a spellbender, and it seems you are as well. This makes you only the second one in recorded history. The fact that you were able to interface with your music-player device confirms it. The spell you used on it previously did not exist." I was awestruck. "Wow...that's a lot to take in. So that means..." Celestia answered for me. "Your power is only limited by your imagination, Steelbreaker. You may very well be more powerful than me someday." I was a little taken aback...and suddenly scared. "Doesn't that worry you? I mean, what if I turn bad or something? Oh God, you're not going to lock me in the dungeon, are you? I wouldn't do well in that environment..." She waved a hoof off and gave me a comforting smile. "Steelbreaker, I have seen your heart. Also, your cutie mark confirms my suspicion on the matter. Your talent - your calling - is to watch over and protect those dear to you. Hurting them or those they care about would go against your very being...something I have a feeling you would never allow yourself to do." I nodded. "I could never do that. I'd die before I let myself do anything remotely like that." She grinned at me. "You see? You have nothing to worry about. Now then, that is all I wanted to ask you. You may go...but perhaps you would like to try out the limits of your capabilities with some teleportation?" I bobbed my head, thinking. "I mean, I guess I could. Well, here goes. It was nice knowing you in case I screw this up or something." I focused on the library, more specifically the front steps. I then imagined myself getting there as fast as possible..._willing_ it to happen. I began to feel the air around me get colder, and a shiver elicited from my body. My body began to tingle, and then I saw a bright flash. When my eyes readjusted, I found myself standing outside the library. I decided to contact Celestia. _'Well, you were right princess, it worked. I'm okay.'_ I breathed a sigh of relief. _'That is good, Steelbreaker. Perhaps you should tell Twilight about your recent findings about yourself. I am sure she will be most excited to hear about it.' _I walked into the library to find Twilight sitting at the reading table with my iPod playing next to her and her eyes locked on a book. I cleared my throat to get her attention and she looked up at me. "Oh hey Steel, you're back soon. So, what did you find out?" I sat down next to her, grinning. "Well Twilight, it appears you've got your very own Starswirl the Bearded to study." She looked confused. "I'm not sure what you mean, Steel. What's going on?" I laughed. "Well, Celestia said that by what I told her, I'm a spellbender, like Starswirl was." Twilight literally jumped out of her seat in shock. "WHAT?" I winced, thinking she was going to hit me or something. "Umm...well maybe she's wrong, I don't know..." She instantly changed to a massive smile. "No, this is AMAZING! To think that in over 3,000 years, you're only the second spellbender in history! This is incredible!" By now she was in hysterics, so I calmly grabbed my iPod, exited the library, and walked into town.

I asked a few of the younger ponies for directions to Vinyl's house, and before I knew it I came upon a stark white, two story building with Vinyl's cutie mark on a flag. _'Seems fairly obvious...'_ I walked up to the door and knocked. It took a few seconds, but before I knew it I was staring at a black-maned gray earth pony. I bowed my head slightly. "Ah, you must be Lady Octavia. It's a pleasure." She stared at me in shock. "Oh my...Vinyl wasn't joking. W-well yes, I am Octavia. You must be Mr. Steelbreaker. Please come in. I will fetch Vinyl." I took a seat on a large L-shaped red couch and patiently waited for my host to return.

**Perspective change - Octavia**

I was in utter shock as I made my way to the recording studio. _'An alicorn? I assumed for sure she was joking.'_ Much to my own disdain, I found myself a little...jealous of my best friend. She was as a sister to me, and I loved her as so. Still...I found myself oddly jealous of her. Jealous of her playful nature, of her confidence...of her unkempt style, even. I quickly pushed these thoughts aside as I entered the studio, the sounds of synthesized music filling the air. I pounded on the glass of the DJ booth, getting Vinyl's attention. She sauntered out with a large grin on her face. "Hey there Tavi, what's shakin'?" I faked a smile. "He's here." I replied simply. If her smile was big before, it was enormous now. Vinyl nodded and we headed back to the living room.

**Perspective change - Vinyl Scratch**

I was sweating bullets. _'...he's here! Okay Vinyl, calm down girl. Take a breath...play it cool. You got this.' _I tried to compose myself to not look like a complete foal, which was hard enough on it's own. Not only was he a musician...but an alicorn! And he wanted to see me! I forced myself to calm down as we came up behind him. He was relaxing on the couch in the living room with his eyes closed, singing some sort of song I'd never heard before. It sounded...sad. I turned the corner to see a tear drop down his eye. Everything inside of me screamed to go and give him a huge hug...somehow I restrained myself. I still don't know how.

**Perspective change - Steelbreaker**

I was singing "Mama Said" to myself when I heard two ponies approaching from behind me. I slowly sat up and wiped a tear away from my eye and smiled at Vinyl and Octavia, who were standing in front of me, concerned looks on their faces. "What?" I asked. Vinyl stepped forward. "Are you okay Steelbreaker?" I nodded. "Yeah I'm awesome. Why do you ask?" Octavia approached me with a frown. "Well you were crying, Steelbreaker. And that song you were singing sounded just so...sad." I sighed. "Yeah, that was a song from where I came from. I find it better when singing or playing a song to feel the emotion or emotions it's meant to convey. Makes for a much more passionate feel to the music. I'm not actually sad, it's just what the emotion was at that point during the song. It was loss...pain...and regret. If those didn't make you sad, I don't know what would." I said with a smile. They seemed to accept this, as they both broke out in soft grins. I stood off the couch on my two hind legs, arching my back to pop it. Vinyl gasped. "Wow you're tall." I laughed and dropped to all four hooves. "Nah, I don't walk around town like that. It just happens to be the easiest way to get the kinks out of my back." Both of the mares mouthed an 'Oh'. "So Vinyl, Octavia...how about we get to the music?" I said while holding up my iPod. Vinyl looked very confused. "What's that?" I chuckled. "This, my lady, is what's known as an mp3 player. It holds and plays music. I have over twenty-thousand songs on here that can be played at any time." A gasp was heard from both of them. I simply winked at them. "I'll show you exactly what I mean. I take it you have a recording studio in this place?" Vinyl nodded slowly. "Okay then, take me to it and I'll show you what I'm talking about." Vinyl nodded and Octavia and Vinyl led the way to the recording studio. When we arrived, I was amazed at just how similar the music equipment and the DJ booth was to those back on Earth. "Okay then. Do you have an auxiliary cable?" Vinyl looked confused. "An oxhill-what now?" I facehooved and picked up a pair of headphones laying on the pa system. I pointed to the end of the cord coming out of them. "It's a cord that has two ends on it that look like this." She nodded. "Yeah. It's something I came up with about a month ago. Really helps with hooking up my equipment. I got one around here somewhere, gimme a sec." With that she rummaged around in a small bin beside the door. "Aha! Here it is. Here ya go Steel." I took the cable from her and hooked up my mp3 player to the pa system. I turned the levels on half-way and routed the sound to the speakers in the booth. I looked at Octavia. "First, something for you, Octavia. This is a piece of music I often listen to when I have trouble sleeping. It's called 'Gentle'." I used a bit of magic to get the player to play the song I referred to, and set it aside while Octavia listened to the music. The soft, haunting melody filled the air, and Octavia closed her eyes, seemingly lost in the music. Vinyl of course, looked a little bored. I smirked at her and connected with her mind. _'Don't worry Vinyl, I'll play a song for you next. You're really going to like it.'_ She smiled at me and nodded. The song ended and Octavia had tears in her eyes. "That was quite possibly the most beautiful piece of music I've ever heard. Did you write that?" Octavia inquired. I barked a laugh. "No Octavia I didn't, but I'm glad you liked it. It is one of my favorite pieces of contemporary classical music. My skill in music writing lies in three genres known as 'blues', 'rock', and 'metal'. In all honesty I don't know if you'd like them. They're a bit...heavy." I looked at Vinyl and nodded. I changed the music to "Rock 'n' Roll" by Skrillex, turning up the bass on the equalizer. Both of the girls were nodding their heads to the music up until the first bass drop. Octavia's face changed to one of fascination, and Vinyl had the single biggest smile I'd ever thought possible on her face. I stood up on my hind legs and moved my body in step with the song, making a sort of improvised dance. I was never a great dancer, that was always my brother's forte, but Vinyl seemed impressed. When the song finished, both of them were speechless. Vinyl found her voice first. "What...what was that? That was amazing!" I smiled. "That my dear, is known as dubstep. It's a new form of electronic music. Before you ask, no I didn't come up with that. I love the music, but if you want someone that could show you how to make it, you might want to ask Darkflight."

We spent most of the rest of the day playing different songs from my mp3 player and drinking some sort of sweet liquor that Vinyl had(man, that stuff packed a punch though). To my surprise, Octavia actually liked most of the songs. Yet another misconception from the TV show I'm glad was wrong. The only one she didn't like was Ice Cube's "Gangsta Rap Made Me Do it", because of all the swearing. The sun had gone down before we knew it and I bid goodnight to them and left. Too lazy to fly all the way back to the library, I simply teleported again to the front door and walked in. Luna was there to greet me, much to my surprise. I smiled and approached her.

**Perspective change - Luna: 1 hour earlier**

I had chosen to visit Twilight Sparkle and Steelbreaker after raising the moon, as night court had been canceled on account of a storm scheduled that night in Canterlot. I flew gracefully on the cool air currents of early evening towards Ponyville...the town I had come to adore. I landed softly outside the front door to the town's library - Twilight Sparkle's home. I knocked on the door and heard a deep voice shout, "I got it Spike!" from inside. I was greeted by a large black dragon. "Hello Darkflight. It is good to see you again. I hope I am not intruding?" He shook his head. "You're not intruding at all, Princess Luna. We were just chillin' out. Twilight was expecting you, I think." and he waved me inside. I entered to be met with Steelbreaker's mother and sister, playing a game of chess at the reading table. They both waved and smiled at me before returning to their game, fierce eyes locked on the board. Twilight must have heard the door and stepped downstairs to greet me. "Oh hello Luna, it's great to see you again. Steelbreaker's not here right now, but he should be back soon. Would you like some tea while we wait?" I nodded. "Yes, tea would be lovely Twilight. Thank you." I watched the young mare leave, and smiled in thought. Twilight held a special place in my heart. She was my first friend upon my release from the curse of Nightmare Moon. She was the only one who actually took the time to try and integrate me into the world I had been away from for so long on my first Nightmare Night. Thankfully, she also tutored me in the modern way of speaking, as I was told that my somewhat archaic speech was outdated. While some situations still present themselves that I find myself unable to handle well, I would not be where I am today without her friendship and guidance. Twilight's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "Helloooo, Luna? You there?" I shook my head. "Yes Twilight, I apologize." I said with a smile. She levitated a small mug of tea to me, and I nodded my head in thanks. "Thank you Twilight, I appreciate your hospitality." She waved a hoof. "No need to thank me, Luna. You're a good friend...you're always welcome here." I smiled warmly. It was always nice to be reminded that I actually had friends, even after what Nightmare Moon did. Twilight and I sat at reading table, sipping our tea. I could tell she had something on her mind, and while I could simply sift through it to find out, I chose not to betray her trust in such a way. "Twilight, what is bothering you? You obviously have something on your mind." She sighed. "Well...it's Steelbreaker." I was not surprised. Truth be told, I had often found myself thinking of him as well. He is just so...different...but in a good way. I could not decipher whether it was because he was from a different world, or because of his personality. He treated me as an equal. In normal society, this would be considered an outrage. However the way he did it, it was in no way disrespectful. Celestia did not mind the royal treatment from her subjects, but I was not so fond of it. Before Twilight, I would find myself yearning for the informal connection that two friends share. With Steelbreaker, it is different though. There is something else I feel when I am around him...though it is a feeling I am unfamiliar with. I attempted to consult my dear sister, only to have her giggle and tell me I should see Steelbreaker. I broke out of my momentary thought and addressed Twilight. "Well Twilight, I often find myself thinking of him as well. He is..." "Different," we both said synonymously. We both looked at each other and giggled. After finishing tea, we both retreated to the large couch in the main room of the library. Just after sitting down, I noticed a bright flash outside the windows of the library. I stood to investigate, and the door opened to reveal Steelbreaker, smiling. He strode up to me and embraced me in a hug, bringing a blush to my cheeks. "Good evening, my lovely Luna. It's wonderful to see you again." I felt my heart flutter at his greeting and I returned the hug, drinking in his warmth. "Good evening, Steelbreaker. I am happy to see you as well." I released him and gazed into his eyes, noticing a power within them I had not seen before. As he turned away to greet Twilight, I noticed something on his flank...a cutie mark? When did that happen? "Steelbreaker, when did you get your cutie mark?" I asked. He glanced back at his flank and relayed a story to me from yesterday of how he had been racing Rainbow Dash to the town square before Darkflight's unveiling, only to accidentally activate a wing-enhancement spell and collide with her. He told me of how he had saved her from serious injury or death, and had found his cutie mark after waking from unconsciousness. I glanced at the cutie mark again. "Is that Rainbow Dash's cutie mark?" I said while pointing at his flank. He nodded. "Yeah. Apparently it's connected to the fact that I protected Dash from falling to her doom. Not sure how though, but there it is." I found myself strangely...jealous of Rainbow Dash. I wish he cared about me as much as he does her. _'I care about both you and Twilight just as much as I do Dash, Luna.'_ I jumped in surprise. _'Did you just invade my thoughts?'_ He smirked. _'I don't have to in order to know what you were thinking. I may not be as old as you or Celestia, but that doesn't make me stupid.'_ I smiled. _'You know too much for your age, Steelbreaker.'_ He laughed. "Yeah...that's what a lot of people have said to me." Twilight looked confused. "I feel so left out right now."

**Perspective change - Steelbreaker**

I laughed and nuzzled Twilight. She giggled and fell back onto the sofa. I joined her, as did Luna, sitting on the other side of me. I extended my wings and pulled them close, both of them letting out a contented sigh. Luna repositioned herself to lay her head in my lap as Twilight had a few nights ago, and I softly stroked her mane. I noticed my sister walking downstairs. She just looked at me, shook her head, and headed to the kitchen. It was still early in the evening and Twilight, Luna, and I all sat together, talking about me again(big surprise). It was odd to me, but to them I was fascinating. What seemed to fascinate them the most was the fact that Earth's sun and moon move of their own accord. This turned into a crash-course on physics and mathematics, much to the boredom of Luna. At around 10:30pm, I walked to the kitchen and grabbed three bottles of Applejack hard cider that Dash had left for us. We all drank a bit, getting a little intoxicated. We somehow got on the subject of sexual relations between humans. Apparently that little voice that normally tells me to steer the conversation away from that - no matter how interested these two are - was a little drunk, and was taking a nap. _'Thanks brain...you dropped the ball again.'_ Luckily Luna seemed to be keeping her cool, but I could tell Twilight was getting turned on. I was luckily just sober enough to stop the conversation right then and suggest we go to bed. We all proceeded to head up to Twilight's room, as apparently Luna would be spending the night. I didn't mind, I liked her. She was cool for a princess...not that I've known any princesses before her. I gargled some mouthwash and flopped down on my back on the bed, closing my eyes. Luna had gone with Twilight to brush her teeth, so I rested my eyes. I must have fallen asleep, because I didn't even hear them come in. The next thing I know, I'm being kissed. My eyes shot open, and I find myself looking at Twilight, her eyes closed. I pushed her off. "Twilight, I'm sorry...I'm not ready for this yet." She smiled seductively, as did Luna. "Who said you have a choice?" Luna winked. They started advancing towards the bed. _'Shit gotta get out of here...think, think!'_ I then teleported out of there to the first place that came to mind...the meadow where I first met Dash.

**Perspective change - Twilight Sparkle**

I rubbed my eyes, having been blinded by the teleportation spell Steel had cast. _'Wait...teleportation? He teleported? How the hay...'_ I was so confused...and then suddenly...ashamed. I looked at Luna, and it was apparent she was feeling the same way. "We shouldn't have done that...I don't know what came over me." I said. She nodded. "Yes...I fear we have just destroyed a friendship." She began to cry, and before I knew it, I started to shed tears too. What if he hates us now? What if he doesn't want to stay in Ponyville anymore? What if he wants to...go back? This thought made me cry even harder. I wanted to find him...to say I was sorry, but I had no idea where to look. With that, Luna and I had no other choice but to go to sleep, and hope by some miracle he actually comes back. _'Please Celestia...please let him come back...'_

**Perspective change - Rainbow Dash**

I woke up to the sound of something that sounded like thunder. I grumbled curses to myself and floated downstairs to my living room. _'What the hay...there's not supposed to be a storm tonight...'_ I opened my front door and took a look around. _'Hmm...no clouds. Wait, what's that? Is that...?'_ I looked down at the field below me and saw a familiar figure. "Steel?" He looked up at me and smiled. "Hiya Dash. You wouldn't mind giving me a place to stay for the night, would you?" I was a little confused, but always happy to see Steel. I beckoned him. "Sure, come inside." He disappeared and reappeared in front of me in a flash. I saw spots in front of my eyes. I was confused before I realized what happened. "Did you just teleport?" He laughed. "Yeah, that's like the fifth time I've heard that exact question today." This guy was a mystery, but in all honesty I was too tired to figure it out right now, so I just let him inside and closed the door behind me. "Well Steel, it's late so let's just go to bed. You can sleep with me unless you prefer the couch." I said, trying to act like I didn't really care. I secretly was hoping he'd want to sleep with me though. I really liked him a lot...I just hoped I was doing a good job at hiding it. He shrugged. "Well if you're cool, I'm cool. Lead the way, Dashie." My heart lept into my throat when he said that little nickname. Pinkie had come up with it, but when he said it...it was different.

We got to my room and got into bed. I snuggled up next to him, feeling so safe with him next to me. I'd never tell him, but what he did for me - when he saved me - I think I started to like him as more than a friend. I'm not so good with feelings, so I decided to keep quiet until I had things figured out. Something was bothering me though. "Hey Steel?" He looked down at me. Maybe it's me, but his eyes look a little different... "Yeah Dashie?" I smiled...I love when he calls me that. "Well it's not that I don't enjoy you being here, but why aren't you at Twilight's house? Did she kick you out?" He shook his head. "No, I left." I was shocked...what happened? "Oh...um why did you leave? Did something happen?" He nodded. "I could tell you, but you probably wouldn't believe me. I think it's better if I just show you." He leaned in close and touched his horn to my head...and everything went white. The next thing I knew I was looking at Twilight's face in front of mine...was she kissing me? No...no she's not, this must be what happened. Oh...oh wow. Both Luna and Twilight? What's wrong with them? With that, my vision returned and I found myself looking up at Steel. "Wow Steel...I'm really sorry that happened. Any idea why they were acting that way?" He pursed his lips. "Well we were polishing off three bottles of hard cider and talking on the couch. Somehow the conversation veered towards sexual relations between two humans." I giggled. "Ah...well that'd do it, Steel. Ponies don't really talk about that kind of stuff to somepony they're not 'special friends' with. That plus alcohol makes trouble for you." He nodded. "Yeah, I didn't really think that through. To my credit though, I've had a bit to drink too, so that's probably why I wasn't thinking clearly." I giggled. "I can't watch out for you all the time, Steel." I said, softly slugging his shoulder. He chuckled heartily, then frowned. "Y'know, I had to get out of there fast...but I have a feeling that Luna and Twilight aren't feeling too good about it now." I nodded. "Yeah...they probably think you hate them now or something. You don't, do you? I hope you don't. They didn't mean it." He smiled such a warm smile I felt my heart melt. "I could never hate any of you girls. Misunderstandings happen all the time. I'm not going to let one as small as that little situation ruin a good thing." I smiled...what a guy. "Well I'm glad you feel like that, Steel. You should probably make sure to clear everything up with them tomorrow." He nodded. "Yeah I will. I'm just thinking of how to do that without hurting their feelings too much." I was confused. "Well what do you mean?" He was silent. "Why would you hurt their feelings, Steel?" I asked a little more forcefully. He sighed. "Well...I really like you girls. I don't want to have to make a choice. I don't want to lose any of you...you're all so great." I cocked my head up at him. "What do you mean make a choice? Oh...oh I get it." He nodded. "Yeah..." I laughed, and he just stared at me. "What? What are you laughing at." I laughed even harder, my sides starting to hurt. "Okay Dash enough, it's not that funny. What are you laughing about?" I coughed a bit, trying to catch my breath. "You don't have to make a choice Steel." I said, nuzzling into him. He sighed. "Well I can't just leave you girls hanging Dash. That's not fair to any of you...but at the same time I'm just afraid of losing one or all of you." I giggled. "No Steel, that's not what I meant. It's socially accepted - almost expected - for stallions to be polygamous." His eyes widened. "What? Wow...I was not expecting that." I laughed. "Think about it Steel...how many stallions have you seen around here? There's a five to one ratio of mares to stallions in Ponyville, and it doesn't change much across the rest of Equestria. It's always been like that. If each stallion was only with one mare, that'd leave the majority of the population of Equestria alone. Nopony wants to be alone. Some stallions are perfectly happy with just one mare, but it's almost encouraged for stallions to take more than one marefriend." He was silent, thinking about it I guess. "Well...I have to be honest, that definitely makes sense. It's going to take some getting used to though." I took a chance, and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek. He looked down and smiled, kissing me on the top of the head. "Goodnight Dashie." I felt warm. "Goodnight Steel."


	7. Ch 7: The Beast Within

**A/N: Hey everyone! Another chapter is here, this one took a long time to write. This one however, will have some pretty big changes to the story thus far, so pay attention! I'm fairly certain you will all be pleased, but as always R&R and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters associated with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, nor the original story.**

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Chapter 7: The Beast Within

I woke up to bright light invading my personal space, on my eyelid. I moved my head out of the way and attempted to slip back into peaceful slumber, only to have the invading light back on my eyes again. "Alright alright, I'm up." I grumbled to no one. I looked down to see Dash curled up at my side like a little dog. 'Daww…' I softly stroked her mane with a hoof and she stirred in her sleep. She mumbled something about Fluttershy…I couldn't really make it out. She moved around a bit and looked up at me, smiling. "Morning, Steel." She wrapped her hooves around me and nuzzled into my side. 'Dammit…why do these girls have to be so damn cute?' "Good morning Dashie. Did you sleep well?" She nodded. "I always sleep well when you're next to me," she said, blushing a bit. A day ago such a response would've made me feel a pang of guilt, but after what Dash told me last night about how relationships work here, I don't feel bad about it anymore. Being an ex-human that was raised in only monogamous relationships, it's going to take some getting used to. However, now I don't have to worry about hurting these girls that I've grown to care a lot for. "Hey Dashie?" She blushed and smiled at me. "Yeah Steel?" I smiled warmly back at her. "Thanks for last night. What you told me really put my mind at ease." She giggled. "Well I don't know if you should be thanking me for just telling you something that everypony knows, but…you're welcome I guess?" I nodded, and with that we got out of bed to get cleaned up.

Both of us had decided to go straighten things out with Luna and Twilight. I asked Dash to teleport with me, but she said she preferred to fly, so I followed her through the air towards the library. When we landed, I felt a little nervous. She must have noticed and put a comforting hoof on my shoulder. "It'll be okay Steel. Like you said, it's just a misunderstanding." I nodded and opened the door.

Twilight and Luna were sitting on the couch in the main room. They both looked up at Dash and I when we entered, then quickly lowered their heads again in shame. I could hear sniffles from them both as they started crying. I quickly strode over to the couch sitting between them. I pulled them into a firm hug. "Girls, it's okay. I don't hate you and I'm not mad." This seemed to brighten their moods a bit and they finally looked at me. Twilight spoke first. "I-I'm so sorry S-Steel…we didn't mean to make you uncomfortable like that. We just…" I wrapped my wings around them, and they nuzzled into my neck. "Girls, I was a little uncomfortable at first. Humans as a whole are raised to choose one mate and one only. Dash explained to me how things work here in Equestria. I'm sorry but I just didn't want to have to pick one of you, because I care about all of you girls. I was afraid that by choosing I'd be losing one or all of you, so I instead opted not to make a choice instead. In retrospect, that wasn't a good choice either." Luna looked up at me. "S-so you are not angry with us?" I shook my head. "I have three beautiful mares that like me…how can I be mad about that?" Dash's face scrunched up. "Don't worry Dash, you can be beautiful and awesome at the same time." She showed a smile so big I was afraid her face would split apart. Luna and Twilight giggled. Twilight nudged me. "I'm so happy you don't hate us, Steel. I'm sorry…I was just worried I guess." Luna nodded. "I am guilty of that fear as well, Steel. I apologize…I should not have worried." I chuckled. "Fear is simply the verification that you're still sane and care enough to be afraid, Luna. That fear is a good thing, I assure you." Luna laughed. "You see Steel that is what I am referring to. You seem to be much more mature than your age suggests. It is confusing sometimes. I find myself forgetting I am the elder, and not the other way around." I chuckled. "Don't get me wrong, I love to have fun. Sometimes I can be brash and daring, like Dashie. Other times, I can be wild and crazy like Pinkie Pie. I'm versatile like that. I'm just an old soul. I've not experienced much more than others my age…I just happened to gather more from each experience – learned more." I said with a smile. Twilight giggled. "Way to convince us of your age, old man. No wonder your coat is silver colored." I shrugged. "Gray hair is the crown of wisdom, gained from years of life and experiences garnered through strife." Dash stared at me. "Wow…that's deep Steel." I grinned. "Meh, I have my moments. So, it's been awhile since you guys have seen your other friends and I would like to get to know the element of Kindness better. What say we go visit Fluttershy and see what she's up to?" They all nodded. I walked downstairs. "Hey Mace, what's up man?" An imposing figure came to the doorway. "Oh hey bro. Not much going on here, just decorating a bit. What's up?" I smiled. "Well the girls and I are heading over to Fluttershy's for a bit. Hold the fort down until we get back, okay?" He nodded. I started to head out and then turned around. "Oh, I almost forgot, Princess Celestia says that if you can't find work here in Ponyville, she's in need of a smithy in the palace if you're interested." He smiled a large toothy grin. "Dude, that'd be awesome. Next time you see her, tell her I'm more than interested." I nodded. "Will do, Mace. Alright, we're heading out. See ya." And with that, we all left.

**Perspective change – Fluttershy**

I was outside in my garden watering the flowers, humming a tune my mother used to sing to me when I heard a pained chirp from behind me. I turned around to see a small blue jay with what looked like blood on its coat. It seemed to have a panicky expression on its face. "Oh my word, are you hurt mister blue jay?" I rushed over only for him to hold up a wing and shake his head. It motioned for me to follow and I followed without a second thought into the Everfree Forest after him. I found myself afraid after realizing I was in the forest. 'No Fluttershy, you can't afford to be afraid. He needs you to be strong! Be like Rainbow Dash, you can do this!' With a rush of courage, I ran further into the forest to where the blue jay had stopped. I saw another blue jay holding its wing in a tree, a frightened expression in its eyes. It seemed to be waving me away. I then heard a growl in front of me. I looked through the trees to find a large figure approaching me. I couldn't move, I was frozen in fear.

**Perspective change – Steelbreaker**

We were trotting to Fluttershy's house when suddenly we all heard a scream of terror. Dash stopped in her tracks. "Oh no…that's Fluttershy! C'mon, we need to find her!" She took off like a rocket. I had other plans. I focused on Fluttershy's essence…the soft-spoken, caring, and loving pony. I found her without much trouble, and focused on getting to her. The next thing I knew, I found myself standing in front of her. Her expression was shock and terror. I heard a growl from behind me, and I turned to see a large animal approaching. It had the body of a wolf, but looked like it was covered in an armor made from wood, as if a tree and wolf had merged together…a timberwolf. It seemed to have a confused expression on its face for a moment, before it changed to one of aggression. It charged. I locked eyes with it and stood my ground. I focused on my magic and changed my voice to that of a wolf, and made it louder and deeper than usual. I let loose a deep threatening growl, sounding more like a demon than an animal. The beast stopped charging, and instead slowly walked up until it was standing in front of me. It was almost as large as me with glowing green eyes. It stopped advancing and sat down on its haunches about a foot away from me, looking at me with a quizzical expression. I smiled and the wolf's demeanor immediately changed to that of a playful puppy, wagging its tail with what I could only deduce was a smile. It nuzzled up against my face, and I chuckled. Fluttershy was awestruck. "How…how did you do that?" I was confused. "What do you mean, Fluttershy?" Her mouth was hanging open in shock, and I had to restrain a laugh. "I-I mean I've never been able to do that with a timberwolf. I usually run whenever I see one!" I shook my head. "Predator Behavior 101: Never run from a predator." I rubbed my hoof on the wolf's side. "This wolf here seems to be more intelligent than the wolves from where I came from, but the predator instinct still exists. If you run from any predator animal, you'll activate a chase instinct within it. For example, if you were to come across a manticore, you'd be better off standing your ground, but crouching to show you're not a threat. Remember that, it might save your life." She smiled, and a small flash came from behind me. I looked at where it came from…my flank. Fluttershy's cutie mark had appeared to the left of Dash's. I motioned Fluttershy over to me. "Hey Fluttershy, I forgot to tell you about me getting my cutie mark. Great huh? But take a look at it closely…" She nodded and looked at the mark on my flank. She gasped. "That's mine and Dash's cutie mark!" I nodded and proceeded to tell her the story of how I got it. She was beaming. "I'm so proud of you Steel! That's great!" she jumped at me and gave me a hug…one that I happily returned. "Thanks Fluttershy." I then turned my attention to the wolf that was standing behind us. I furrowed my brow. "I wonder if…" Fluttershy looked confused. "What?" I moved closer to the wolf. "Hold on, I want to try something." I looked into the wolf's eyes, hoping it would understand me. "Hold still for just a moment…I'm not going to hurt you." The wolf just stared at me, but didn't move. I focused on what I hoped would be an enchantment – one I hoped would give the wolf the ability to completely understand and speak our language through Spellspeech. I touched the wolf's head with my horn. My horn flashed and the wolf backed away a bit. I could see what looked like a Nordic rune on the wolf's head. It flashed for a moment before disappearing. I decided to test it. I focused on finding the wolf's consciousness. I found one close to me…young, proud, and strangely intelligent. _'Hello there…can you hear me?'_ The wolf looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. I tapped my hoof on the ground and the wolf looked back at me. _'It's me. I'm the voice in your head.'_ I thought with a smile. The wolf looked bewildered. I heard a voice within my head. _'This does not make sense…whoa! What was that?'_ The wolf suddenly looked frightened and yelped. I chuckled and placed a hoof on the wolf's back, it looked at me again. _'That is your voice. I've given you the ability to understand and communicate with us through our minds.'_ The wolf then stepped forward and gave a sort of smile. _'Well I thank you, Mr…um…'_ I nodded. _'Steelbreaker, my name is Steelbreaker. Do you have a name?'_ I inquired. _'No, I do not. Not much use for names in a society that doesn't speak your tongue.'_ I nodded. _'I understand. Would you like to choose a name for yourself?'_ The wolf nodded and looked into the sky. _'I have always liked that great white ball in the sky when the dark comes. I would be honored to be named after that.'_ I shrugged. _'Well there is already one who shares a derivative of the name of that object, the moon. Her name is Luna, and she is actually the goddess of the moon. Hmm…how about Moonfang? I think it suits you.'_ The wolf seemed to contemplate the idea. _'Yes…yes that would work. I thank you for your gift to me and the name.'_ I smiled and gestured to Fluttershy. "Moonfang, this is Fluttershy. Fluttershy, this is Moonfang. I have bestowed upon him the gift of Spellspeech as a way to communicate with us. No creature this intelligent should be left out of intelligent conversation." Fluttershy suddenly jumped a bit. No doubt Moonfang had introduced himself. I looked at Moonfang. "Moonfang, Fluttershy is the caretaker of animals, large and small. I assure you she will be a friend to you and is no threat to you. I apologize if she was encroaching upon your territory." The wolf simply shook his head. _'Actually Steelbreaker, I am an outcast from my pack. I challenged the alpha and lost. I am now a lone wolf, and I have no territory of my own.'_ I nodded. "Well Moonfang, I am sure Fluttershy here would enjoy befriending a proud and noble being such as yourself." I continued in Spellspeech. _'She is rather timid with meeting new ponies, so she may be shy at first. I assure you, she is a good friend to have though. Be patient with her…you will find no pony more kind than her.'_ I could feel the grateful feeling the wolf had towards me. _'Yes…a friend would be nice. Thank you Steelbreaker. I do hope to befriend you as well.'_ I chuckled. _'Already done, noble Moonfang. I ask that when I am not around, you please watch after this young pony.'_ He nodded. _'I will protect her as if she were one of my own pups.'_ I smiled.

As we three started to walk through the forest, we passed by Zecora's hut. I saw the other girls up ahead, exiting the forest. "Hey girls!" I called. They all looked back at me, and then at Moonfang…fear suddenly clouding their eyes. I waved a hoof. "Girls it's alright. Fluttershy is safe, unharmed, and in no danger." They all relaxed a bit, but were still on edge. _'I don't think they like me.'_ Said Moonfang. I leaned over to him and whispered just loud enough for him to hear. "Well perhaps you should introduce yourself." I said while smiling. He smiled a bit and trotted next to me. I stopped before reaching my friends as did Moonfang, both of us taking a seat on our haunches. Moonfang spoke for all to hear. _'Hello, my name is Moonfang. I am a friend to Steelbreaker and I assure you I mean no harm to your Fluttershy.'_ I giggled a bit when all of my friend's jaws dropped open, save for Fluttershy. Luna's eyes were wide with disbelief. "Did it just use Spellspeech?" I nodded. I relayed the entire meeting with Moonfang to all of them, and they asked questions here and there. Luna was still confused. "How did you cast such a spell though? I do not even know of such an enchantment." Twilight spoke up. "He's a spellbender, Luna. Celestia confirmed it yesterday." I nodded. Luna's confusion melted away and she smiled. "Well Steel, it appears there is more to you than meets the eye." She turned her gaze back to Moonfang. "Moonfang, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Luna, princess of the moon and the night. I must say I had never thought I would have a conversation with a timberwolf." The wolf gave a small smile. _'I never thought I would be befriending ponies, so it appears both of our assumptions were incorrect.'_ Luna nodded and turned to me. "I like him already. He reminds me of you in a way." I chuckled. "Well he's also quite the fan of your work, Luna. He asked to be named after your moon. He considers it an honor." Luna was beaming. It was uncommon for someone to revel in her moon the same or more than Celestia's sun. Luna turned back to the wolf. "Well Moonfang, you honor me. I thank you for that." Moonfang bowed his head in reverence. _'The honor is mine, Lady Moon'_ Luna blushed at the compliment. Dash smirked. "Geez you two, get a room." Everyone laughed at this, even Moonfang. I looked to the wolf beside me. "Moonfang, I wish to give you another gift. I will bestow upon you all my knowledge of how ponies interact, along with social etiquette. Hopefully this will make settling into this new life much easier than it was for Luna. After you've settled in a bit, we will hold a meeting with the town to introduce you. Hopefully this will soon allow you to be readily accepted into the general populace. I will help with this matter." I placed my horn on his head again, and it flashed. I felt our minds merge for a moment, feeling his mind learning from mine. A few seconds later I pulled away. He smiled. _'Ah, thank you Steelbreaker, this will be of great help to me. I appreciate it.'_ I nodded, then looked at Fluttershy. "Fluttershy, I would like Moonfang to stay with you if that's alright." She looked over at the large wolf for a moment, the smiled. "Yes, I think that would be alright. I'll need to explain to Angel what's going on, but I think everything will be okay." I nodded. "Well, we were headed over to your place anyway Fluttershy. Lead the way."

**Perspective change - Moonfang**

The ponies and I walked towards the one called Fluttershy's home. I was a little apprehensive at first towards the actions of the silver pony called Steelbreaker, but not without gratitude. A timberwolf without its pack is lost and alone...I was greatly thankful for such an act of kindness from a being I've never come upon before. It is odd...the very concept of friendship is foreign to me, but it feels...right. In a timberwolf pack, there is only family, allies, and rivals. There is no such thing as friendship, nor emotions for that matter. During the actions that Steelbreaker had taken on me, I had developed a self-consciousness about myself. I was aware that I _felt _now. Not physically, but...something else. When a pony would compliment me or treat me with kindness...I felt good. My newfound knowledge told me this was happiness. It is confusing to say the least. It is as if I had been born without the ability to smell...only to have the sense suddenly awaken.

As we arrived at the tree line, I became nervous. One of the things a timberwolf learns early in life is to never leave the forest. To do so results in exile from the pack, and possibly death. Steelbreaker seemed to notice this and looked back at me. "Moonfang, what's bothering you? I promise, it's safe. No one but Fluttershy or her friends ever come out this far. No pony is going to see you." I stared at him for a moment and nodded. He is obviously very wise...it is best I trust him. He seems to know what he is talking about. I advanced with the group, and I soon found myself at a cozy abode near a stream. I suddenly realized something and thought I should ask Steelbreaker for clarification. _'Steelbreaker, something important has just come to my attention.'_ He stopped and looked back at me. "Yes? Moonfang?" I thought it best to just be honest. _'Your friends...they do know I eat meat, right? From what I understand, ponies only eat plants.'_ He frowned. _'Ah yes, that may be a problem. I apologize, I seem to have overlooked that. However if you wish, I can alter your body to be able to consume and process plant life as sustainence. Still having a carnivorous body, you will have to consume protein, but it's nothing a diet with plenty of eggs, tofu, and funguses can't fix. I would also be able to change your body structure to be better suited to a life in intelligent society. Would you wish that?'_ I was rather nervous, but he showed me kindness when he could have easily killed me. For some reason, I trusted him. He gave off an aura of raw power, but at the same time, gentleness. My instincts told me he would not harm me. _'Very well, Steelbreaker...I trust you. Please do.'_ He nodded and turned to the night goddess...Luna. "Luna, I need your help with something, can you come here?" She turned around to face him and nodded. He leaned in and whispered something in her ear, and she smiled. "Sure, I can help with that Steel." She then looked at me. "Are you ready Moonfang? This will not hurt, but I warn you, your body will be very different from what you are used to." I nodded. _'You are my new pack now...my friends. I would do this to be able to stay with all of you.'_ She smiled a warm smile. "Very well. Steelbreaker? Follow my lead." Steelbreaker nodded and they stood on opposite sides of me. Both of their horns began to glow bright, so much so that I had to close my eyes. I began to feel my body tingle all over, as if ants were crawling all over me. The tingling turned to an intense warm feeling...not quite burning, but very warm and...comforting. I felt my body changing, bones and my thick wooden skin moving and shifting. I felt the toes on my front paws elongating. None of the change hurt, but the feelings were very unsettling. Suddenly, the warmth and tingling stopped. "Well, we're done Moonfang. Come inside Fluttershy's home and we'll show you what you look like." said Steelbreaker warmly. I opened my eyes and proceeded to follow them to the small home. The first thing I noticed was that I felt lower to the ground, as if my size was...less now. It felt different walking now. Not bad, just...different. Steelbreaker and Princess Luna were smiling. The other ponies had an awestruck expression. I should have been nervous, but I was simply happy their expression was not fear. We entered the home of Fluttershy, the place alien to me. I had never been inside the dwelling of a pony. It looked...serene, and comfortable. Fluttershy went to a corner of the home and pulled over a large object that was shiny all over. Once I looked at it, I saw what looked like one of my kind, but something was different. I would not let it attack my new friends, and I let loose a loud growl. Steelbreaker placed a hoof on my back and smiled down at me. "Calm down Moonfang, that's not another timberwolf...that's you." I was confused. Whatever that shiny wall was, we had no such things in the forest. However, I had seen myself in the pools of water spread throughout the forest, so I knew what I looked like. I experimentally raised a paw to see what the other wolf would do...and he raised his paw too. Was that really me? I glanced at my paw, noticing it was different. It was no longer a normal wolf's paw anymore, it was more akin to a monkey's paw. I looked up at Steelbreaker. _'This is...new.'_ He laughed. "That's not the only thing that's changed, Moonfang." with that, he stood up on his hind legs, balancing himself and standing on only two legs instead of four. "Your new body is meant to stand comfortably like this now. Give it a try. I'll support you so you don't fall." he then fell back onto all fours. I nodded and attempted to stand up as if I were going to grab something out of a tree above me. I found that I wobbled a bit, but this stature felt very natural. I smiled. _'This is very different as well, but I must say I like it.'_ I turned my head to find myself looking eye-to-eye with Steelbreaker. "You're welcome Moonfang. I know a lot has changed already, but there's one more thing I'd like to give you." With that he touched his horn to my head again. I felt our minds connect for a moment...some sort of information passing through my brain so fast it almost hurt, and then before I knew it he backed away. _'What did you do?'_ He smiled. "Your new body has a changed facial structure. It will allow you to speak like we do. The knowledge I just passed to you is how to form the different words you've been thinking to everyone with your mind into words you speak with your mouth. You won't need to think about it, just let your mouth talk instead of your mind. Give it a try." He smiled. I was a bit nervous again, but did as he asked. "H-hello?" I was startled by my own voice. It sounded nothing like my snarls, or howls, or growls. Yet again it was different, but not bad. I was uncontrollably happy, and I hopped around the room. "Wow! This is amazing!" I found myself jumping around like a playful pup, and I honestly did not care how it looked. I had never felt so good. I decided to take another look at my appearance, so I carefully walked over to the shiny surface again. I could see that my wooden skin still remained everywhere, and even my glowing eyes were the same. I let a large smile cover my face.

**Perspective change - Steelbreaker**

I chuckled at the new addition to my friends as he marveled at his new appearance in the mirror. Luna leaned over to me. "Today has been rather interesting. First you protect Fluttershy from a timberwolf, then you befriend said timberwolf. Next, you give it the ability to use Spellspeech using a previously unheard of enchantment. After that, you invite him to join us as a friend, and Fluttershy is okay with him living with her. To top it off, he now has a radically altered form and can speak in our tongue. So...what do you plan to do tomorrow?" I laughed. "I don't know...depends on how I feel when I wake up. I might lounge around on the couch all day with my lovely ladies, or I might just go out and befriend a massive dragon next. Guess you never know with me." She rolled her eyes. "You are quite the enigma, Steel. I have to be honest, I never thought so many things would change simply by bringing you to Equestria." I smiled. "Different, but not bad, right?" She nuzzled against me. "No...not bad. Not bad at all." I giggled and nuzzled her back. I then turned to Moonfang. "Moonfang, we will leave you with Fluttershy now to get settled in." He nodded. "Fluttershy?" She looked back at me. "Yes Steel?" I then took a serious face. "I have changed his body so that he no longer has to eat meat to survive. However, he's going to need plenty of protein in his diet. You can show him how to get it from plants, right?" She nodded. "Yes, I can take care of that. Everything can easily be found in the forest, or in town." I nodded. "Okay then Fluttershy, we're going to head out. Thanks again for doing this." She waved a hoof at me. "It's no problem, Steel. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine. Besides, I love taking care of animals, as you know. Moonfang isn't really an animal anymore, but I have a feeling we'll get along great." I smiled. "Wow Fluttershy, I'm surprised you've taken a liking to him so fast." She smiled back. "I know a good friend when I see one. Come see us again soon, Steel!" I walked over and gave her a hug. "We will, don't worry." I then looked at Moonfang. "Take good care of her, Moonfang. She's a good friend of mine, and if you'll let her, she'll be a good friend to you too." The wolf nodded. "I will. Thank you for everything Steel...really. Thank you. I would have been lost without all of you." I walked over and placed a hoof on his shoulder. "No need to thank me, it's what a good friend should do. You take care of yourself. I'll be back in a few days." and with that, we left.

Today had been quite a long day, so we all headed back to the library. Luna unfortunately had to leave and go back to Canterlot to resume her duties, so we all embraced her and said our goodbyes until she would return. I had to fight to hold back tears. I knew it might only be a week or so, but I always missed her when she was away. After she left, we continued on to the library, making small talk and whatnot. Dash had been kept out of the loop as far as my new abilities, so Twilight spent most of the walk back updating her. Dash looked over to me afterwards. "So that's how you did a Sonic Rainboom. I thought it was a little off that you were able to do one so quickly." I nodded. "Well it's not rainbow-hued, so technically it's not a Rainboom." She mulled the thought over. "Okay, so what do you call it then, Steel?" I shook my head. "Because of the fact that you were the first one to pull off a Rainboom and I did kinda cheat with magic, I think it's only right that you be the one to give it a name." She put a hoof to her chin in thought. "Hmm...how about Brightflash Wave?" I nodded. "If you like it, I'm cool with it. Like I said, it's your choice." She smiled and nodded her head. "Yeah, I like that name. We'll go with that. Brightflash Wave...has a nice ring to it." I laughed and bumped my flank against her.

About twenty minutes later, we arrived back at the library. Spike was just arriving at the door as well. "Oh hey guys, I was wondering where you all were. What were you all up to?" I proceeded to give him the lowdown on everything that had happened. He was just staring at me with wide eyes. "Wha- but how-" He shook his head. "You know what? I'm just going to have to treat you like Pinkie from now on, because I can't figure out how you do half of the stuff you do. And you made friends with a timberwolf? I mean...that doesn't even make sense. Whatever...Twilight's not freaking out, so I'll be fine." I laughed. "It's okay Spike, I'm still me." I said, and ruffled his spines. He chuckled. "Okay okay, let's all get inside. It's getting cold out here and I don't do so well with the cold." We all shuffled inside to be greeted by my mother. "And where have you been all day? I was wondering what happened to you!" I cringed. I was definitely more powerful than a human now, no doubt about it. Still...the woman scares me. "I'm sorry mom, things have been kinda crazy today." She relaxed a bit and sighed. "Well, you're okay. I guess that's what matters. Anyway, Jennie and I are ready to get a change of form whenever we can. I'm just going to be an earth pony and she's going to be a unicorn." I nodded. "That's great mom. We'll get a letter off to Princess Celestia tonight and hopefully fit you guys in tomorrow if she's not busy." She nodded and gave me a tight hug. "Well I'm going to call it a night. I'll be reading a bit in the guest room before going to bed, so call me if you need me." I nodded and gave a hug back. "Okay mom. Goodnight then." with that, she headed upstairs. Dash, Twilight and myself grabbed a few daisy sandwiches Spike had been making for us and ate quietly. After finishing and cleaning things up, we called an early night and headed upstairs. I headed to the restroom to take a shower and turned on the water, letting it warm up. Dash walked in and smiled. "Hey Steel, you mind if I join you?" I chuckled. "What's up, no embarrassment this time?" She laughed. "Nah, I thought about what you said and you're right. Ponies do kinda walk around naked anyway, so it doesn't really matter. Besides, it's always nice to have someone helping to scrub that spot right between the wings." I nodded. "Yeah. Amazingly I haven't learned how to levitate things yet and I'm too lazy right now, so some help would be appreciated." I stepped in the shower and Dash stepped in behind me. Luckily she shower was quite large, so we fit without trouble. I grabbed the soap Twilight had bought for me and proceeded to lather myself up. _'Mmm...cinnamon...'_ Dash grabbed a brush that was hanging next to the shower and put some of the soap on it. She started scrubbing the spot right between my wings. Ah man, that felt great. I let out a moan of pleasure. I looked behind me to find Dash blushing and giggling. "You know Steel, the others in this place might think we're up to something if you keep making those noises." I laughed. "Nah, I'm actually pretty quiet in bed." she blushed really hard, and I could see her wings raise a bit in excitement. I laughed again. "What's the matter Dashie, getting a little excited there?" She blushed again, but continued to scrub my wings. _'Ah damn, that feels good. Wings must be extra sensitive or something.'_ "Okay, now rinse off Steel." I nodded my head and got underneath the water, rinsing all the soap off my body. I backed up and let Dash stand in front to get cleaned up. I did the same she did for me, grabbing the brush and put some soap on it. Remembering how sensitive the wings were, I started with gentle scrubbing in the place right between the wings. She sighed softly and smiled. I continued to brush all the feathers very softly, so as not to hurt her. I found it hard to get the right leverage, so I instead decided to sit behind her and just use my hooves to clean her wings instead, doing soft massaging to get all the feathers straightened out. She had her eyes closed and was letting out a soft sigh every now and then, clearly in heaven. I moved to the base of the wings, right where they connect to the back. I did the same massage motion and she let out a loud moan. I was a little taken aback. She turned around, breathing a little fast. "Why did you stop?" I smiled sheepishly. "S-sorry Dashie, I thought I hurt you. Well you're all clean. Rinse off." She did a little pout and stepped under the shower head, rinsing off all the soap. I turned off the shower and stepped out, Dash following me. We helped each other dry off, paying special attention to wings to get them as dry as possible. We brushed our teeth and then headed off to Twilight's room. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, grinning. "If you two wanted some time alone, you didn't need to use the hot water to do it. You could've just asked." I shook my head. "Twilight we were just taking a shower, honest. I just didn't know how sensitive wings are and well..." She laughed. "Yeah, a unicorn's horn is the same way." I smirked. "I'll keep that in mind." With that she blushed. "W-well okay, I'm going to go get cleaned up then and I'll be back." I chuckled a bit as she walked out of the room. I lay down on my back on the bed, and Dash joined me. I lay there in bed rubbing a hoof along her back, and she let out a cute squeak whenever I _accidentally _touched the base of her wings. She looked up at me with a fake frustrated face. "You are _such _a tease, you know that?" I decided to push it further and pushed her on her back, me looming over her. "Oh really? Well, am I a tease when I do," I ran my tongue along her neck, and she shivered. "that?" She growled a bit. "This is _so _not fair!" I laughed, then ran kisses all along her neck and collarbone. She let out a soft moan. "What? I thought you liked this?" I said innocently. She glared at me before completely losing focus when I ran a hoof along the underside of her left wing. She looked at me, panting lightly. "You're evil, you know that?" I grinned. "Yeah I know...but you love it." I quickly flipped her over and proceeded to kiss the bases of both her wings. She shuddered heavily. "Steel..." she whispered. I smiled and stopped, deciding no to torture her anymore. She climbed over to me with a large smile on her face. She buried her face in my chest and mumbled something. "What was that Dashie?" She removed her face from my chest, but still mumbled. "Still didn't catch that, say again?" She sighed and looked right at me with those beautiful magenta eyes. "I said I love you, Steel." she said, and then winced. She turned her head away from me, so I pulled it back and kissed her softly on the lips, lingering there for a few seconds. I broke the kiss and looked back at her eyes. "I love you too, Dashie." She opened her eyes and smiled at me, then gained a shocked expression. "Steel, y-your eyes...they're glowing!" I was instantly nervous because of her expression. I turned my head to look at the vanity mirror on Twilight's dresser. Sure enough, my eyes were softly glowing, a golden hue to the color. I smiled. "Well...that's cool. I look so much more boss now." Twilight then walked in and stared at me. "Are your eyes glowing?" I chuckled. "Yeah, I guess. Pretty cool, huh?" She looked worried for a second, then shrugged. "You don't seem to be acting any different, so I guess it's alright." She snuggled into bed with me and Dash and leaned her head on my chest. I looked at both of the mares in my embrace. "Hey girls..." They both looked up at me with smiles. "Would you be my marefriends?" They both looked like they were going to explode with happiness, but then just smiled warmly and draped their hooves across my chest. "Yes" they both said at the same time. I smiled and kissed Twilight on the lips softly as I had Dash. She looked surprised for a moment, but then closed her eyes and sighed, returning the kiss. After breaking free she looked nervous. "What's wrong Twi?" I asked, wrapping my wings around her and Dash. She buried her head in my chest and then let out a breath before responding. "I have something I want to tell you. I hope you feel the same way, but if you don't..." I gave her a concerned face. "Well just tell me Twi." I already had a feeling what she was going to say, but I wanted her to say it. I felt her mind try to connect with mine, but I focused and forced her out. "No Twi, I want you to say it out loud." She looked even more nervous. Dash reached across my chest and held her hoof. "Twi, it's okay." she said while looking into her friend's violet eyes. Twilight nodded. "Steel...I," she mumbled the rest. "Say again Twi? Louder please. We already have one Fluttershy, thank you." She took a deep breath. "Steel...I...I love you." I leaned down and kissed her again. "See, that wasn't so hard now was it? And I love you too, Twi." She let crack a large smile on her face. I hugged her tight and kissed her again, then Dash. "Feel better now?" They both nodded. "Alright, well I'm beat. I'd love to stay up and play," I winked at Dash and she blushed, "but my body's forcing me to sleep. I love you girls. Goodnight." The both smiled and hugged me tight. "Goodnight Steel." they said in unison. That night would be one of the best sleeps of my life.


	8. Ch 8: The Forgotten Element

**A/N: Hey guys I'm back again with another chapter! This one is pretty quick, but same as the last has a lot of important stuff in it so be sure to read closely. As always, R&R and let me know what you think.**

**To Guest#1 – Thanks for the review man, glad you like it. There will be more to come, so make a profile on the site and follow it!**

**To Guest#2 – You know a playa has to play, man. Thanks, I will be keeping the story going, most definitely.**

**To Guest#3 – Well I'm glad you're enjoying the story thus far. There'll be plenty more to come, so check back. More often than not I post a new chapter nearly every day, so check often!**

**With the thanks out of the way, ON WITH THE STORY!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters associated with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, nor the original story.**

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Chapter 8: The Forgotten Element

I woke up to find the bodies of Twilight and Dash tangled around me in a mess of legs. I smiled at the sight, and giggled a bit. I ever so carefully untangled the mess that was our bodies and hopped out of bed, somehow without waking the other two in it. I made my way downstairs to find my brother sitting at the reading table with a mug of coffee and a book labeled "The History of the Dragon Kingdoms". "Mornin' Mace, what's up man?" He looked up from the book and smiled at me. "Good morning, you dog you." he said with a smirk. I laughed at him. "This isn't the same as what you did with the girls back on Earth. I actually care about both of them." He shrugged. "Well then, you're a better man than I was. Wait, you're a pony. Nope, I was still the better man technically." I chuckled. "Okay Mr. Technicality, what's for breakfast?" He pointed towards the kitchen. "I made some eggs and potatoes with some tomatoes in there and green peppers. I took a walk to town today to pick up some things." I cocked an eyebrow. "Where did you get the bits to do that? You're not dealing again, are you?" He shook his head. "Nah, Spike burped up a letter from Princess Celestia this morning. She said she's accepting me as a royal smith and wanted to send us an allowance to get started. Something about making her sister and student so happy or something…" I laughed. "Well I've never been paid for making someone happy, but I guess technically that's what a comedian does. I don't need the cash, you keep it. You should stock the pantry and fridge since we've been eating all Twilight's food without paying her back." He nodded. "Way ahead of ya man. I didn't really know what to get so I took Spike with me and he helped out." I smiled. "I like the new you already. You make a cooler dragon than you did a human." He laughed. "Well we all have growing up to do. Who'd have thought it'd take being a firebreathing creature of legend to do it?" I chuckled and headed to the kitchen to get breakfast. I grabbed a bowl and heaped some of the food into it and grabbed a bottle of apple juice from the fridge. I walked back into the main room and sat with my brother at the table. I decided to give levitation a try, so I focused on the apple juice after I opened it, willing it to slowly float to my lips. My brother just stared at me. "What are you doing dude?" I shushed him. "I'm trying to levitate it." He nodded and watched me. "You know your eyes look like they're glowing a little." The bottle slowly floated off the table and towards my lips, and I took a sip of juice. "Mmm…that's quite possibly the best apple juice I've ever tasted. Oh yeah, I know my eyes are glowing. I found out about it last night." He smirked. "What were you doing?" I chuckled. "Nothing surprisingly. We just fell asleep." He snorted. "Boring! Spice things up a little." I shook my head. "It's not like that man…I love 'em." He looked at me with a smile. "Well it's about time. It's been like five years since you've had a girlfriend." I nodded. "Yeah, I know. A fiancée breaking up with me after cheating on me with my boss kinda killed my drive to date. The females are different here though. They're much more loyal, and loving, and just altogether better. I thought the fact that they were equines would bother me…it doesn't. Not in the least." He nudged me. "You go, bro. Just gotta find me a female and I'll be set too." I shrugged. "You're gonna be hard pressed to find a dragon around here dude." He shook his head. "Nah, I've had my eye on Applejack. I'm pretty sure I can snag her, I just need to get to know her better." I chuckled. "Well you better watch out for Big Mac. He's really protective of his family." He frowned. "Yeah…that could be a problem." I placed a hoof on his shoulder. "You're gonna have to change who you are, man. The whole party guy who has a different girl every other day isn't going to fly here. Break a mare's heart, and that shit gets around. Basically what I'm saying is don't be a dick." He sighed and closed his eyes. "Yeah…I know. I think I can do that. Change is good, after all."

I finished my breakfast just in time to see Twilight and Dash come down the stairs. "Morning girls, how did you sleep?" Twilight smiled…Dash had a groggy expression on her face. "Coffee…" she mumbled. I nodded and levitated a cup of coffee I'd made for her over. She smiled gratefully. "So girls," I started, "I've always wanted to see the ruins in Everfree Forest. Care to join me?" They both nodded. "Great, we'll leave after we all get cleaned up."

We all took a quick shower and brushed our teeth and headed out the door. Twilight decided to let me carry her and just fly to the ruins, as walking through the forest would take too long and was rather dangerous. Dash led the way. It only took us about ten minutes to reach the ruins, and we landed softly and walked inside. Twilight explained to me in detail everything that happened here in the past, right up to the point where her and her friends became the elements of Harmony. "Wow…that's intense. I didn't realize this place was so special." She nodded. "Yes. This place was once known as the Palace of the Two Sisters, back before Luna became Nightmare Moon. These ruins are all that remain after the battle before Nightmare Moon was banished for a millennium." I nodded. One hell of a battle must have taken place here, I could still feel powerful magic within the place. We walked into the chamber that once held the Elements of Harmony. I noticed a pedestal in the center that seemed to still have a great amount of magic seeping from it. I pointed to the spot. "I can feel a lot of magic on that pedestal there. I take it that's where the Element of Magic was?" Twilight shook her head. "The Element of Magic was hidden within me. Once the other girls' elements awakened, I realized just how close we'd become. The power of our friendship revealed the sixth element, the Element of Magic." I cocked an eyebrow…this didn't make sense. What had been there then?

We walked around the ruins a bit and sat down to have a lunch that Twilight had packed for us. As we finished, I noticed a strange feeling in my gut…like we were being watched. I took a look around us and didn't notice anything, so I shrugged the feeling off. That's when I heard the flapping of wings behind me. I turned to see ten gryphons dressed in full armor with blades on their wings. "Well well…what do we have here? I knew sooner or later the elements would slip up." Said the largest one, who I assumed was the leader. I turned to face them and growled. "What do you want, gryphon?" The leader smirked at me. "Our fight isn't with you, stranger. We're here for the elements. Get out of the way and we won't kill you." I stood my ground. "I can't do that. You want them, you have to go through me." He grinned maniacally at me. "Very well…I've always been curious as to what an alicorn's blood tastes like." I stared him down. "Girls, get inside the ruins. Don't come out until I come to get you." I made contact with Moonfang and Luna. _'Luna, Moonfang, I need your help. I was walking around the ruins in Everfree Forest with Dash and Twilight and we've been ambushed by a large group of gryphons. It appears they have intent to kill. I don't know how long I'll be able to hold them off, get here now!'_ I felt agreement from both of them, as well as fear welling up from Luna. _'We are on our way Steel. I will pick up Moonfang and then I will teleport straight to you, just hold on!'_ With that, I opened my eyes to look at the enemies before me. The leader smirked. "I guess you're done praying to your god, ready to die?" I cracked a smile. "I think you'll find this meal will not be worth the pain you're going to feel…" with that, I called upon a great wall of fire to separate the gryphons from me and I ran inside the ruins. I entered the Vault of the Elements, hoping it was a small enough space so that they wouldn't be able to get behind me without me knowing about it. Luckily the ceiling was very low, so they wouldn't be able to fly. I felt Dash and Twilight in this room as well. I then realized I was the only thing protecting them from death and I knew what I had to do. I made contact with both of them. _'I love you Dashie…and you too Twilight. I can only give you a moment…I want you to run when I tell you to.'_ I heard Dash gasp. "No, Steelbreaker! We're not leaving you!" she said, tears in her eyes. I let a tear drip on the cold tile floor. "Dash, you're the Element of Loyalty. I need you to be loyal now. Do as I say and save your friend and get out of here. If you stay, we all die." She threw her forelegs around me and hugged me tight. "…no…I can't. I'm sorry Steel." I sighed and focused my power on both of them…and teleported them to the library. I could have just as easily saved myself as well, but no…these monsters weren't going to stop until they captured or killed my friends. This ends now. I felt a rush of power envelop me, and a flash from the empty pedestal in front of me. A ball of swirling white light popped up from the pedestal, and flew into me before I could avoid it. I was blinded by a flash of intense light. I thought I had died. I opened my eyes to find I hadn't. I noticed my vision was much sharper, and I could now hear the gryphons outside shouting curses at each other. I stepped in front of a window to look outside and caught my reflection. I was covered head to hoof, head to tail in glowing black armor. There were solid plates on my legs and my wings, as well as a helmet that covered everything but my eyes. On the forehead of the helmet was a bright silver shield with a black gem in the middle where my horn should be. The armor surprisingly didn't weigh anything at all, I didn't feel any heavier. My eyes were no longer normal…instead they were glowing spheres of golden energy. I marveled at my new appearance. _'What…what is this?'_ I was interrupted from my thoughts by the voices coming down the corridor. They stopped in their tracks when they saw me. The leader's mouth dropped open. "Wh-who are you?" I turned and smiled at him. "I told you if you wanted the elements, you'd have to go through me." The leader growled and lunged at me. It was almost as if he were moving in slow motion. I easily sidestepped him and slammed my hoof into his forehead, knocking him unconscious. Seeing their leader fall so easily, the others began to scatter. "OH NO YOU DON'T!" I yelled. I cast an improvised spell, tying them all together with strands of magical rope. I plopped them on the ground next to their leader.

**Perspective change – Luna**

I had teleported to Fluttershy's home to pick up Moonfang and had then teleported to where I remembered the ruins of my once great palace would be. We arrived to find a massive wall of magical fire before us. Moonfang shied away in fear. I noticed this and dispelled the fire. He then relaxed. "What was that?" he asked. I shook my head. "That is a spell that has not been used in nearly two thousand years. The last one to use it…was my father." I quickly rushed inside the ruins, Moonfang following close behind me. We entered the Vault of the Elements to find nine frightened gryphons tied up, with one more unconscious lying next to a large armored figure. The figure must have heard us enter, as it slowly turned around to meet us. The armor it was wearing was as black as the night itself, and was giving off a dark glow. Its eyes were two glowing orbs of gold. It was smiling at us. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH STEELBREAKER?" I said in my royal Canterlot voice. The figure winced. "By Celestia, Luna. You don't have to yell at me." _'I know that voice…'_ "Steel?" The figure nodded. "Hi Luna." My mouth dropped open. "You…you're different." Steel looked at himself. "Yeah…I'm not sure what happened." Moonfang stepped forward. "Steelbreaker…are you alright?" Steel nodded. "Yeah, I feel great." Steel turned to me. "Luna, these are the gryphons that attacked us. I think Celestia would probably like to have a word with them." I nodded. "Very well, let me contact my sister." I reached out across the void to connect with her mind. _'Sister, something has come up…something I believe you will want to address with the offenders.'_ It took her a moment to respond. _'Hello dear Luna, what is it?'_ I sighed. _'Steelbreaker, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight have been attacked by a large group of gryphons. Do not worry yourself, everypony is unharmed.'_ I felt her relief. _'I am relieved to hear that, dear sister. Very well, I am ready when you are.'_ I turned to Steel. "Okay Steel, my sister is gathering guards to prepare for our arrival. I am ready when you are." He nodded.

**Perspective change – Stelbreaker**

I focused on all of the gryphons, Luna, and myself…as if grabbing them with my mind. I then focused on the throne room of the palace in Canterlot. I closed my eyes as I felt the familiar cooling of the air around me, and I opened my eyes again to find myself staring at a battalion of guards. They all tensed up, but Luna saved me. "Fear not guards, it is Steelbreaker. There is no danger." She pointed at the gryphons. "Take these scum to the dungeons until we can figure out what to do with them." The guards nodded. I cast a spell to knockout all the attckers and dispelled the rope around them. The guards then began to shuffle all of the gryphons out a large wooden door. I turned my head to find Celestia staring at me in shock. I shifted a little nervously. "What?" She just continued staring at me. "I-I am sorry Steelbreaker…it appears you are the Lost Element." Luna just stared at her. "Sister, I do not understand. What are you speaking of?" Celestia composed herself. "Long ago before peace reigned, there was a great war between the dragons, gryphons, and the ponies of Equestria. This war lasted nearly a century until it ended. In order to end the war King Sol, our father, forged the Elements of War. They were the Element of the Berserker, the Element of the Assassin, and the Element of the Guardian. Unlike the Elements of Harmony, the Elements of War were sovereign…meaning they did not need the presence of the other elements to release their power. These elements held no place in peaceful society, and so the elements of the Berserker and the Assassin were destroyed; because of their nature, the possibility for evil to corrupt the bearer was too great. The Element of the Guardian was thought destroyed as well, but was instead secretly hidden. This secret was kept only by certain members of our line, dear sister. Unlike the other Elements of War, two things must be present within the bearer: a desire to protect without regard for personal safety…as well as love. Because of its nature and potential, this element was hidden in plain sight with the Elements of Harmony…and would only activate when its chosen bearer arrived. It appears that after three-thousand years, a bearer has been chosen." She then smiled at me. "I can think of none better, Steelbreaker." I felt myself relax. "Thank you Princess Celestia. I was worried you were going to banish me or something." She shook her head. "For protecting your loved ones? Never. I would not do such a thing to somepony for taking an act as noble as yours." I nodded. "Thank you Celestia. I don't mean to cut this short, but I got the girls out of there and sent them to the library. The last thing I said to them sounded like a goodbye. I don't think they're in too good of shape right now." She nodded. "Yes, I believe you are right. Luna, I wish for you to go too. I can take care of things here and you deserve a few days with the pony you love. Yes…I know how you feel about him." I smiled at Luna and she blushed. I saluted to Celestia and she giggled. "You may go, thank you Steelbreaker. Treat my sister well." With that, I teleported Luna and I to the library steps.

We stood outside the library for a moment before entering. For scaring them both, I was afraid Twilight and Dash were going to beat me. "Luna, if they feel the need to…punish me for scaring them so much, don't intervene." She nodded. "I am confused as to why you would allow such a thing, but I will respect your wishes." I smiled at her. "That's why I love you, Luna." She blushed hotly and kissed my cheek. I sighed. "Okay…here we go." I opened the door to find my entire family downstairs in the main room, along with Dash and Twilight. They all looked up at me with puffy red eyes, and stared in shock. Twilight looked over to Luna. "Luna, who is this?" I smiled and focused on dissipating my element's power, deciding instead to let it hide within me. A bright flash came, and I could no longer feel the armor on me. Everyone gasped. "H-hi girls…" I said softly. My brother stood up first and walked over to me. He just stared at me for a second, and then punched me in the face…_hard_. He growled at me. "If you _ever_ pull a stunt like that again you won't have to worry about dying, because I'll fry your ass." He scowled at me a few more seconds, and then pulled me off the ground and into a tight hug, surprising me. "I'm glad you're okay man." I pulled away and smiled at him. "I'm sorry Mace…I thought it was them or me. I chose them." My mom stood up next, walked over to me and smacked me…and then pulled me into a hug as well. She was sobbing. "Don't ever do that to me again, Drew. I thought I lost you." I hugged my mom tightly. "I'm sorry mom. I love them though. You'd have done the same for me had you been in the same situation." She nodded. "Yes…you're right, I would have. Just please…be more careful." I grinned. "No promises mom. Trouble seems to find me wherever I go." I then went and sat between Twilight and Dash on the couch. They wouldn't look at me at first. I lowered my head in guilt. "I'm sorry girls…I'm really sorry. I had a choice to make…and I chose both of you. I'm sorry and I understand if you don't want to forgive me for this…but I do ask you to try and understand." Twilight grabbed me and sunk her head into my chest, crying softly. Dash still wouldn't look at me. She quietly got up and walked out the front door. I sighed. "Well…so much for the fairytale reunion." I said with a hint of sadness. Suddenly the front door flew open, and a blue blur slammed into me. I felt hooves pounding on my shoulder and heard crying. "DON'T _EVER_ DO THAT TO ME AGAIN, STEEL!" Dash yelled. She ran out of steam and hugged me tight, her tears running into my coat. My sister walked over and smiled. "I knew you were fine. No one believed me, but I told them, 'He can't die, he loves us too much to leave us.' No one ever listens to me." She said with a pout. I smiled and she brushed my mane away from my face. "You need a haircut, Drew." I laughed. Luna strode over to me and kissed me softly on the lips. "All is put right, and the Element of the Guardian has awakened." Twilight stirred and looked at Luna. "What do you mean?" I went through the whole situation, as well as what Celestia had told me. Twilight stared off into space. "So…there was another element all along? It's not in any of my books, I'm sure of it." Luna waved a hoof in dismissal. "It would not be found in any book, Twilight. The creation and subsequent hiding of the element predates recorded history in Equestria. I did not even know of its existence." Dash finally spoke up. "So my coltfriend is an alicorn, a spellbender, and a super-secret element? Wow…I really know how to pick 'em." I chuckled and Twilight laughed loudly. Luna was smiling as well. "Yes Rainbow Dash, it appears we all have somewhat of a talent for choosing stallions." We all shared a laugh and relaxed after the ordeal of today.

After everything had calmed down, Luna, Twilight, Dash, and myself all were having a small dinner and talking about the day. Twilight of course was fascinated at the prospect of a previously unheard of element, and that it had chosen me as its bearer. Dash was beaming, clearly still pleased that I was okay and now about 100% cooler. Luna kept nuzzling into my side the whole time, which I found so cute. After dinner, we all were exhausted mentally and physically so we all headed up to bed. Luna shared a shower with me which much to my excitement got rather _steamy_ before I stopped myself. _'Wow, Luna gets loud. Soundproofing spell for the win!'_ We then lay down on the wonderful bed as Dash and Twilight went to clean up. I quickly found myself all over Luna. I found that she was very aggressive, almost animalistic in some ways. She loved it when I overpowered her and took control, though. _'She must not come across many males that aren't afraid of her. Makes sense.'_ Twilight and Dash returned and joined us. I quickly cast another soundproofing spell on the room before we continued. I expressed my wish to not go any further than foreplay, as I was still a little uncomfortable with going any further. The girls didn't seem to mind as my mouth, wings, and magic proved to be more than enough.

About two hours later I found myself lying in the middle of a pile of very pleased, panting mares…me with a triumphant grin on my face. _'Oh yeah, I'm the man.'_ Dash had passed out near the beginning, clearly not as _in shape_ as she thought. Twilight and Luna climbed up next to me and nuzzled my side and neck, respectively. Twilight sighed. "I'm going to have to wash these sheets tomorrow now." I looked down and smiled. "I didn't hear you complaining a few minutes ago." She blushed and smiled. "Well, I guess it was worth it." I then levitated Dash and put her down on her side on my chest. I then looked at Twilight and Luna. "I love you girls." They each leaned up and planted a kiss on my cheek before whispering 'I love you too' in my ears. I could barely keep my eyes open and fell asleep shortly thereafter.

I woke up shortly later to find Twilight and Dash still sleeping. Luna's eyes were open, staring at me. I chuckled. "Creeper." She laughed. "What? I like watching you sleep." I smiled. "Yeah, I do have that devilish charm to my looks." She shoved me and giggled…then gained a look of deep thought. "Steel, I have a question for you." I smiled at her. "I have an answer for you. What is it, love?" She blushed a bit, then looked up at me. "What are we to you? I apologize, I just fear that perhaps you may leave us…" I shook my head. "You girls are the loves of my life. I love you with all of my heart, each one of you. I am your guardian, and your protector. More importantly, I will never leave you alone and I will love you to my last breath, whenever that may be." She seemed to sense the determination and love in my voice, and closed her eyes, nuzzling into my neck with a kiss. "Thank you Steel. You make me so happy, I just wanted to be sure." I lifted her head with a bit of magic and kissed her with passion. I broke the kiss and she gazed at me with a dreamy expression. "I…I love you Steelbreaker. No…I love you, Drew." I don't know what it was – whether it was that she used my real name or that she meant it so strongly – but I had tears in my eyes. I kissed her one more time and we fell asleep in each other's embrace.


	9. Ch 9: The Dawn of a New Beginning

**A/N: Steelbreaker here and we got another chapter coming at ya! **

**A warning to Pinkie Pie fans: This chapter is going to create a back-story for her. If you don't like it, I'm sorry, but I felt the need to round out my characters more than they are in the show, and this is how I'm doing her. Nothing gory, and nothing too explicit...but if you're one of the people who only love her as the fun-loving party pony who's all giggles and smiles, you might be put off by it. You've been warned.**

**To kylehwrd13 - Well Applejack and Rarity have been awol for awhile, but I was actually thinking the same exact thing, I wonder what they've been up to? Twi told Pinkie to wait for all of us to change, and make it one huge unveiling! Also, I actually thought the exact same thing about Dark, which is why I let him start out this chapter. Seriously, are you reading my mind? What's that? Oh...Pinkie asks if you're a spy. You should run.**

**To JB - Yeah, it's not easy being a fire in the sack. I may have cheated a bit by using magic...superpony stamina! Luna didn't complain, so it's all good. As far as the spacing for character speech, I don't really like to use it unless it's only two characters talking for a short period of time, otherwise that method in itself gets confusing. I'll definitely look into it though.**

**To Guest - Well I can't very well turn a fanfiction into a legit book, but I'm glad you like it. But ponder this: Maybe life is a movie, and we're just completely immersed in our character. Your mind is filling with fuck. You're welcome.**

**To The Dark Death - It's only a player if it's a different girl every other day. Don't think it counts if it's all at once. And don't worry, I'm awaiting Black Ops 2, so I'm right there with ya as far as the gaming. Luna wasn't too happy about it at first, but I bought her ice cream and we're all good now.**

**And the story continues...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters associated with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, nor the original story.**

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Chapter 9: The Dawn of a New Beginning

**Perspective change - Darkflight**

I woke up to a little dragon jumping on my chest. "Spike, what's going on?" He glared at me. "C'mon, we gotta meet Rarity today, remember? Get up!" I pushed him away. "Alright alright, can you go make some coffee? This dragon becomes homicidal if he doesn't get his coffee." He laughed at me and headed upstairs. "Fine Dark, but hurry up! It's already noon." I looked over at the clock as Spike clamored up the stairs. _'Well fuck, I didn't mean to sleep in _that _late.' _I rubbed my eyes muttering a few more curses and climbed the stairs to the main library. I was greeted by bright light burning my eyes. I hissed in annoyance and let my eyes adjust. Drew and Luna were sitting at the table talking about something and they both looked at me. I just inclined my head in a simple greeting and headed to the kitchen. _'Of all the days I had to get up early...why the hell did it have to be a Saturday?'_ Spike had luckily gotten a large cup of coffee ready for me with a bagel. "Oh sweet bagel, did you miss daddy? I'm going to eat you up, yes I am!" Spike just stared at me with a raised eyebrow. "Are you talking to your food?" I glared at him. "I had a late night and I have the tummy rumblies...don't judge me, man." He shook his head and laughed. "You kinda remind me of Pinkie Pie sometimes only less bouncy...and pink." I smiled and downed my coffee with a gulp and ravaged the bagel like I haden't eaten in weeks. I wiped off my face really quick and turned to Spike. "Alright I'm ready when you are, you set to go?" He nodded. I headed back to the main room of the library and Drew was waiting for me. "Hey Mace, don't forget to pick up some more apples on the way home and for the love of God, please don't set anything that we don't own on fire." I laughed. "No promises man. I'll be back in a few hours. You guys need anything while I'm in town?" Luna walked up and smiled at me. "Good luck Darkflight. We shall see you when you return." she stood and gave me hug. I looked at my brother and he shrugged. I looked at Luna. "What was that for?" She shrugged as well. "For good luck. Everypony knows my hugs are lucky." she said with a smirk. I rolled my eyes. "Alright then, we're off." and with that, Spike and I walked to town.

This was my first time actually going somewhere besides the grocer near the town square, so I let Spike lead the way. It didn't take us long to come across the boutique which luckily was hard to miss. Spike knocked on the door and we stood there waiting. "So Spike, what's going on between you and Rarity?" He looked down a bit. "Not as much as I'd like..." I kinda felt bad for the little guy. We all knew that being a baby dragon, he didn't really have a chance with her...but that never stopped him from trying. Gotta admire his perseverance at least. The door opened to reveal said white unicorn. "Ah hello Spikey, I'm so glad you're here!" She looked at me. "And Darkflight, it's a pleasure." I nodded and we all filed inside. She stopped and looked at me. "I suppose you're wondering why I've asked you to come today." I nodded. "Yeah. Twilight said it had something to do with the job Celestia gave me." She smiled. "Yes, it does. You see the princess has asked that her and Luna's personal guards have a more ornate armor, so as to set them apart from the normal royal guards. That's where we come in. You will be creating the armor, and I will take care of the details to the armor. Celestia will be holding a meeting with ambassadors from the Gryphon Kingdoms, as well as the dragon from the island in the South Sea. If the past has taught me anything, it's that first impressions are everything. The more regal and official the guards look, the more respect our princess will command. I understand it seems unimportant, but I ask you trust me. Will you assist me with this task?" I nodded. "Yeah, I think I can take care of that. When's the meeting?" She smiled. "In three month's time. That will give you enough time to train under the current blacksmith and make the twelve sets of armor we will need for the guards." I nodded and smiled, suddenly feeling happy to be useful finally. "You can count on me. We got this." She beamed. "Oh I am simply ecstatic that you've accepted! Thank you so much!" and she pulled Spike and I into a hug. "Well boys next order of business, a little relaxation! It has been far too long since I have seen my friends, and I simply must ask Steelbreaker about his newfound relationships. Oh the notion is positively delicious!" she said in what Twilight called her "gossip tone".

We left Rarity's boutique after packing a small lunch of some kind of sandwiches and headed to some secret hill. I noticed every eye that widened at my sight, every gasp that was breathed. Damn these dragon senses... Spike nudged me, noticing my stress. "What's wrong Dark?" I looked down at the little dragon. I almost wish I was little too...then all these ponies wouldn't be so afraid of me. "It's these ponies Spike. Look at the way they look at me. They don't like me." He watched as we walked through town and frowned. He then turned to me and smiled, patting my leg. "They don't know you, Dark. I know you, and you're cool. Anypony that gets to know you is gonna think the same." I sighed uneasily. "I hope you're right, Spike..."

**Perspective change - Steelbreaker**

Twi and I were walking over to Sweet Apple Acres to grab Applejack for our little get together. Dash told me that she doesn't work a lot on Saturdays, so we thought it'd be a perfect time to swing by. As we approached the farmland, I saw Big Mac heading into town. "Howdy Big Mac, how's it going?" He smiled and nodded. "Goin' good, Steel. It's been awhile. How ya been?" I smiled. "Well it's been good so far, Mac. Is your sister here?" He nodded. "She just finished buckin'. Ya'll can find her at tha house. Just knock." "Alright then, thanks Big Mac. We'll see ya." He smiled. "Eeeyup."

We trotted through the fields until we came upon the farmhouse. Applejack had just walked out the front door and spotted us. She smiled a huge smile and galloped to Twilight. "Howdy Twi! Gosh, it's been a long time. Seems like years since Ah seen ya last. What ya been up to, sugarcube?" I smiled and leaned down to kiss Twilight. Applejack grinned. "Oh Ah see. It's about time Twi. Ya'll got ya a right good stallion there." I smiled. "She knows. I showed her just how good la-" she blushed and jabbed me in the side with her horn. "Ow, easy Twi!" AJ just chuckled. "So, what are ya'll doin' here?" Twilight regained her composure and smiled. "Well Applejack, it's been a while since we last spent time together. I was thinking maybe you could join me and the other girls at the hill for a picnic." She beamed. "Well Ah'd be happy to, Twi. Jus' lemme tell Apple Bloom where Ah'm goin' and get a few things ta bring and we can leave."

We headed to Sugarcube Corner next to grab Pinkie Pie. After all, a good picnic always has sweets. We opened the door to see the pink party animal giving a smile that's so contagious it might as well be a pandemic. She looked at Twilight and bounced over. "Hi Twilight! Its super-duperifficly good to see you! _*_GASP* We still haven't thrown a party for Steelie yet!" She prepared to dash off, but Twilight grabbed her tail. "Not yet Pinkie, remember? Soon though, really soon...I promise." She smiled. "Okay Twilight, so what's up?" AJ stepped forward and smiled at her pink friend. "We're havin' a picnic at tha hill and we want ya'll ta be there, sugarcube. Besides, Steel and Dark never got ta taste one of yer famous cupcakes." Pinkie gasped in surprise. "That's right! Well what a coinkiedink, I just got done baking a dozen of them! Gummy's idea." I cocked a head and Twilight just shook her head at me. "Don't try and figure it out, you'll get a headache." Pinkie Pie tossed the cupcakes in a saddlebag and we headed out.

We left Sugarcube corner and headed towards the hill near AJ's farm. I made contact with Fluttershy. _'Hey Fluttershy, it's Steel. Me and the girls are all meeting up at the secret hill for a picnic. Are you and Moonfang interested?' _It took her a moment to respond. She must've been busy. _'Oh, hello Steel. Yes, Moonfang and I would love to join you! It's been so long since we've all been together and Moonfang still needs to meet Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie. We'll meet you there.'_ I was kind of curious about how this place was a secret, and when we arrived I saw why. It was nestled against a cliff and Applejack's farm. You couldn't get to it without trespassing on the farm's apple fields. I trotted up the hill and saw that Luna and Dash had already arrived and were laying on a large blanket on the grass, napping. I walked up them and softly nuzzled them. They both woke up and smiled at me. "Hey girls, I hope we didn't keep you waiting too long. The rest of the gang is on the way. My brother's coming too, and so is Spike." I decided that Moonfang would be a surprise, so I didn't mention him just yet. We proceeded to set everything up and Dash moved a cloud to make sure we had plenty of sunshine. The air was warm for autumn, and the trees had taken on beautiful shades of orange and red. I was laying on the blanket and almost fell asleep when Rarity, Spike, and Dark arrived. Rarity greeted her old friends with tears in her eyes, not having spent time with them in quite awhile. I think I even saw Applejack shed a tear or two. My brother lay next to me and smiled. "Y'know, I never thought hanging out with a bunch of females could be this nice. I'm surprised." I chuckled. "Yeah, well the crazy here and the crazy on Earth are on completely different levels. Pinkie Pie is considered kinda crazy, and she's just funny even at her worst. Like I said, things are better here." He softly elbowed me in my arm. "Yeah. I didn't think so at first, but you made a good choice in bringing us all here. Thanks." I laughed. "Oh my, are have you become a brony Mace?" "Can't be a brony unless you're a human, so no. I still win." he said, grinning. Spike sauntered over and took a seat, leaning up against my brother. "Yeah, it's been awhile since we've done this. I know we didn't meet on the best terms, but I'm glad you guys are here. You guys are like the brothers I never had." I was honestly touched. "Well I'm honored that you feel that way, Spike. I consider you another little brother, and I think Dark feels the same way." I said, ruffling the little dragon's spines. He laughed. "Well Twi always said I should hang out with the guys more. You're a bit of a girl sometimes, but Dark counts I think." I glared at him, and then burst out laughing. "Well I've got the love of the pony that raised you, the fastest flier in Equestria, and the goddess of the moon. I think I can handle being seen as a little femmie sometimes." Dark chuckled. "Way to save that situation, man."

I felt the presence of Fluttershy and Moonfang approaching, so I stood up to meet them. I looked back at Rarity and Applejack. "Rarity, AJ, I want you two to meet someone. I warn you he's a little different, but he's not going to hurt anyone. He's a friend, I promise." They looked at me with a confused look, then looked over the hill when they saw Fluttershy walk up...with Moonfang behind her. Their eyes widened and Applejack fell on her rump. "Wha-what's that? I-is that a..._timberwolf_?" said Applejack, fear in her eyes. I stomped my foot and both Rarity and AJ stared at me. "Didn't I just say it's safe?" I walked over to Moonfang and Fluttershy and embraced them both. "Hey Moonfang, it's good to see you again. How's life been with Fluttershy?" He smiled and Fluttershy blushed. "It's been great. This wolf is quite pleased with the way his life is turning out." Rarity gasped. "Did it just talk?" I sneered at her. "Yes _he_ did. Are you two ready to stop acting like foals and trust me? If he was really a danger, what in your right mind would make you think Fluttershy would ever be anywhere near him?" They froze, and then looked down in shame. Applejack looked up at me. "Ah'm sorry sugarcube, I been a right foal and Ah'm sorry fer that. Can ya'll forgive me?" I shook my head. "I'm not the one you need to apologize to." I said while pointing at Moonfang. Applejack looked a little apprehensive at first, but steeled herself and strode up to him and smiled, holding out a hoof. Moonfang took it in his hand and shook it. "Hello Miss Applejack, I'm Moonfang. It's a pleasure to meet a friend of Fluttershy's." Applejack finally relaxed. "Well Ah'm Applejack and it's a pleasure to make yer aquaintance." Moonfang smiled and looked at Rarity. He slowly walked over to her and bowed. "It is a pleasure, Lady Rarity. Fluttershy has told me much about you." Rarity was shocked at his manners. "W-well, Moonfang I am pleased to meet you as well." Moonfang stood up and smiled. He then looked back at me. "Are you ready to eat? I'm starving." Everyone laughed.

**Perspective change - Rarity**

I was flabbergasted. A timberwolf, as a friend? I had never imagined in my wildest dreams I would be speaking to one and laughing, instead of shrieking and running. Sure he no longer looked anything like a normal wolf, but there was no mistake of what he once was. I felt a pang of guilt as I noticed just how biased my reservations towards him had been. Once you got past _what_ he was, he was actually quite charming...dashing even. He was very polite, kind, and...noble. I found it odd that in society nobility were rarely noble. Instead, I found a noble heart in one of the least likely places I ever thought imaginable...in the wolf before me. Steel had told us all the story of how Moonfang had met him and Fluttershy in the forest...and that originally the wolf had tried to attack poor Fluttershy. I gazed at Steel as he was talking with Moonfang. What had he seen in the wolf? I found it strange that one so young - younger than myself - appeared to have such wisdom to see goodness in what used to be a ravenous beast. Steelbreaker continues to amaze...

**Perspective change - Steelbreaker**

Dark and I had finally gotten to try Pinkie's famous cupcakes. All I can say is OH. MY. GOD! That was by far the most amazing thing I've ever tasted...ever. The taste itself was magical, and I couldn't place it because in all honesty, nothing else compared. It wasn't overly sweet either. I can't even really explain. It was a religious experience, let's just say that.

I honestly don't know why I hadn't hung out with Pinkie sooner. There's just something about her that makes you smile...no matter how you're feeling before. My cheeks were hurting I was smiling so much, but I didn't care. I suppose she's the Element of Laughter for a reason. I tried not to let my mind pry, but underneath her laughter and smiles I began to see something else. I knew it was something she wanted to hide, so I pretended not to notice. However every now and then when she knew no one was looking at her but me, she would look at me and give a sad smile. During those moments I saw so much in those pretty blue eyes. I saw sadness, loss, and loneliness. I hopped up. "Hey Pinkie, I want to take a walk. Want to come with?" She looked up at me with her well-practiced grin and nodded furiously. I faced the rest of the group. "Hey guys, we're gonna take a walk. Be back later, okay?" Luna nodded. "We will be here, Steelbreaker."

Pinkie and I walked into Everfree, stopping at the small pond where I met Moonfang. She sat down on a rock and looked at me with a blank face. I sat in front of her. "Okay Pinkie, I know you're the Element of Laughter for a reason. You can't fake the kind of laughter needed to be it...but I could tell that some times at the picnic you were forcing it. What's wrong?" She stared at me for a second before closing her eyes and sighing...her mane and tail deflating from their normal poofiness...instead becoming straight. She looked up at me, this time with tears in her eyes. She spoke, her voice having lost its bubbly sound. She sounded much younger, almost like she was a completely different pony. "Okay, I'll talk. Please Steel...I want you to Pinkie promise you won't tell anypony about this." I nodded. "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." She smiled softly before continuing. "Okay...what do you know about my past?" I tapped a hoof to my chin, thinking. "Well, I know how you got your cutie mark, as well as the fact that you lived on a rock farm with your family before coming here. Beyond that, not much." She nodded. "Well that's all true...but it's not the whole story. There's a reason I left the rock farm to come here. I tell all my friends it's because I fell in love with Ponyville because it was so pretty and the ponies were all smiles. That's only partly true, and not the reason I left the farm to come to Ponyville in the first place. After I got my cutie mark thanks to Dashie, I was so happy. I thought nothing could bring me down...until my mama got sick. We didn't have the money to take her to the hospital, so..." she sniffled. I stepped behind her and wrapped my arms around her in a hug. She burst out into sobs, holding my arms tightly. I wrapped my wings around her and placed my head next to hers. "It's okay Pinkie, I'm your friend. I'm here for you, I Pinkie promise." She stopped sobbing and nodded her head. She took a deep shaky breath before continuing. "Anyway, after mommy was gone, I saw daddy and my sisters really sad. I wanted to cheer them up, because I knew that's what mommy would want. She wouldn't want us to be sad for her. So, I threw a party in her honor. I remember taking my daddy inside the house after a long day of work. When he opened the door, he just stared at the decorations I had put up. I had a cake that I made for him that I wrote "It's gonna be okay" on. He just stared at it for awhile before he finally looked at me. Daddy was crying. He just went to his room and locked the door." She drew in another pained, shaky breath. "The next morning I got out of bed like I always do and went to go wake up daddy. His door was still locked and when I knocked and called him he wouldn't answer. I got worried so I forced the door open..." She started to cry, but continued. "I thought daddy was floating at first...but then I saw a rope. I didn't know what was happening, so I tried to wake him up. I thought that maybe he was just sleeping or something...but he wouldn't wake up or move." She was bawling by now. It took a few minutes of consoling her, but then she finally continued. "I couldn't live there anymore after that...it hurt too much. I always loved baking for mama and daddy, and I heard the cakes needed a good baker here in Ponyville. They were offering room and board, so I moved here." She then lowered her head and shook it. "I...I don't even remember my sisters' names. It's like they just disappeared. I know I had sisters...but I can't even remember what they look like." She finally stopped crying but still looked just as sad. She looked me in the eyes, those beautiful pools of blue glazed over with tears. "Did daddy do it...because of me?" I hugged her tighter and replied in a very stern voice. "No Pinkie, he didn't. He did it because he was selfish. I'm sorry Pinkie, I don't mean to bad mouth your dad because I know you loved him, but he didn't think of what this would do to you...or your sisters. He did it because he blamed himself for your mother's death. He felt bad that he didn't make enough money to get her the medical treatment she needed. He did it because he felt like he deserved it. It was in no way your fault, Pinkie." I didn't really know what I was talking about, but from what I could deduce it made sense. I just hoped Pinkie would see it that way. Thankfully she did. She turned around and looked up at me, a faint smile on her lips. "Thank you Steelie. I wish I had a friend like you." I was confused. "I thought we were friends Pinkie. You don't want to be my friend?" She shook her head. "I do...but you probably don't want to be mine anymore...not after all this." she hung her head. I snorted in annoyance. "Pinkamena Diane Pie, look at me." She immediately looked at me, fear in her eyes. I stared at her for a second, and then kissed her on the forehead and embraced her. "I still and always want to be your friend Pinkie...all the more so now because I know who the real Pinkie is. Don't ever be afraid to be sad or show what you're really feeling around your friends. You insult them by thinking that they won't like you anymore if you aren't happy all the time, every day. You know what feeling more than just happiness makes you? Normal. We all feel sad, or mad, or scared sometimes. Your friends will always be there to bring you back to happiness though...remember that." She looked up at me and I nuzzled her nose. She giggled. "No more faking, Pinkie. Do you promise?" Her mane and tail poofed up a bit. "Pinkie promise." she said with a smile. "Now...are you ready to get back to your friends?" I asked with a grin. She sighed and smiled. "My friends..." Her mane and tail inflated to full poofiness again. "Yeah! Let's get back and have some fun!" I chuckled and nuzzled her. "Good girl, Pinkie. Don't forget - you're never alone." She smiled and was back to her bouncing bubbly self. She bounded towards the edge of the forest before stopping. She looked back at me. "You won't tell anyone, right?" I shook my head. "You need to tell them yourself at some point Pinkie, but no, I'm not going to tell them." She nodded and smiled, and we left the forest together.

When we returned, the sun had begun to go down. Everyone was still waiting at the picnic spot of course. For some reason my brother thought it'd be a good idea to wrestle Moonfang. Moonfang was easily stronger than him, so I decided to break it up before he got hurt. "Alright guys, that's enough." I glared at Twilight and she smiled sheepishly. "Why didn't you stop them?" She shrugged. "I thought it would be funny." I shook my head. "Twi, I think you're spending too much time around me." I said as I lay down next to her and Luna. Dash walked over and snuggled up against my side as well. "No, I think I'm spending just enough time with you." Twi said with a smile. I laughed. "Well I can't argue with that." Pinkie sat down next to Luna and lay down, propping her head on my back leg. Luna looked down at her, then at me. "What did you two do on this walk of yours?" Pinkie looked at me and I smiled. "Pinkie will tell you when she's ready." Luna cocked an eyebrow at me. I gasped. "No-no, we didn't do anything of _that_ nature, I assure you. It was completely different but personal for Pinkie. Like I said, she'll tell you when she's ready." Luna sighed and nodded.

We spent the rest of the day just like that...a group of friends enjoying time away from the world and simply basking in the warmth of each other's friendship. It was so nice...I decided we should definitely do this more often. When the moon started to finally rise and the air began to chill, we all called it a night and went our respective ways. Amazingly Rarity and Moonfang had "clicked" quite well, and embraced softly as they parted ways. I waved goodbye to Rarity and Applejack, and headed back to the library. I saw Pinkie Pie walking off on her own to Sugarcube Corner. I turned to Dash, Luna, and Twilight. "Girls, go ahead and head to the library. I'll be there soon...I'm going to walk Pinkie home." Luna nodded. "Very well, we will await you at Twilight's home then."

I quickly trotted over to Pinkie and she smiled when she saw me. "Hi Steel, aren't you going home?" I shook my head. "You shouldn't have to walk home alone Pinkie. The girls can wait for me a bit." If I didn't know better I'd say she blushed by how she acted, but I couldn't tell with the color of her coat. "Th-thanks Steelie. I appreciate it." I smiled and placed a wing around her, shielding her from the cold evening air. "No problem, Pinkie." We walked in silence most of the way, until she finally spoke up. "Hey Steel...thank you for all that. I feel so much better now, and you're right, I shouldn't be fake in front of my friends. I'm still just...scared that they won't like me anymore." I chuckled. "Don't take this the wrong way Pinkie, but the whole mad party pony act can get kind of intense...and yes, I know it's an act for the most part. Your friends love you, but to know who you really are they'll love you even more. It'll add an entire new dimension to who you are...someone they can finally relate to and identify with. Don't ever be afraid to be yourself, Pinkie." She nodded. "Thanks Steel. Don't tell Twilight, but I think you're smarter than she is." I barked a hearty laugh. "I don't know about all that, but thanks Pinkie."

When we arrived at Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie unlocked the door and stepped in. "Well, thanks for walking me home Steel. Will I get to see you again soon?" I nodded. "I'm staying at Twi's house, so just drop by whenever. Besides, I know Twilight and Dash always love seeing you...Luna too." She nodded and kicked the floor nervously. I smiled and kissed her forehead. She blushed. "Goodnight Pinkie...sweet dreams." She nodded and closed the door. I focused on the library and disappeared in a flash.

I reappeared in the library's main room, so I trotted upstairs, cleaned up and got into bed. The girls must've been busy doing something because I didn't see them around, so I just turned off the lights and lay in the bed, closing my eyes. I heard the door open and heard them all enter. I stretched out my wings and they all lay around me, Twilight lying on my chest. I barely had time to wrap my wings around them lovingly before their warmth lulled me to sleep.


	10. Ch 10: Cold Rage

**A/N: Steelbreaker and Drew here, and we're diggin' this chapter. Was a lot of fun to write! As always, R&R and let us know what you think.**

**To zsd - Yeah I agree, you can't just have a whole bunch of happy in a story, because then things get boring. They're stale, like the potato chips I'm eating right now. As far as my role in the movie, I'm not sure yet. The answer is 42 though.**

**To y2kbrony - I'll be fleshing out a lot of the other characters in this story, and you'll be saying "yeah, makes sense" a lot more. Glad you approve.**

**To JB - Well of course it has to be a bagel, because the cake is a lie. As far as Pinkie, I guess you'll just have to wait and see. :D**

**To Guest - Well I'm glad you like it this much. I got tired of all these stories that just make no sense or the characters are done completely wrong. I wanted to make sure I did this story right, and I'm pretty pleased with how its turned out so far. There'll be plenty more to come, so keep reading!**

**To Geefriend - Thanks for the review! It's hard to find the balance between keeping the story interesting and then making it so chaotic that my readers and myself lose interest, but according to the reviews I'm doing pretty well. Having multiple marefriends is a challenge, but also worth it. They're just all so great, I'm just glad I don't have to choose.**

**To Vinyl Beat - w00t, absolutely!**

**Major plot elements incoming!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters associated with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, nor the original story.**

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Chapter 10: Cold Rage

I woke up to an empty bed, but I was rested all the same. "Ah…what a good dream." I said to myself with a smile. I stepped into the washroom to clean myself up a bit, and frowned at my mane. I was so used to not really doing anything with my hair back on Earth that I realized I hadn't brushed my mane once since I'd been here. It was frizzy with strands going this way and that. I sighed…this was going to suck. I grabbed a brush with my magic and proceeded to brush out my mane, getting all the tangles out and all the strands flowing the same way. My eyes would tear up whenever I hit a knot. _'Dammit…how do women do this without crying every time? What a pain…'_

After brushing out my mane and doing the same to my tail, I grabbed a smooth bristled brush and brushed out my coat until it shined like it did when I first came to Equestria. I stepped out of the washroom and descended the stairs, catching the attention of Twilight and Luna, who were eating a bit of breakfast at the table. Luna smiled at me. "Well good morning, Steel. You look very…dashing, as Rarity would say it." I chuckled. "Nah, I just figured I need to start taking some pride in my appearance. You girls don't deserve to be seen with a stallion that looks like he's homeless. The mane was a pain…literally." Twilight giggled. "Now you see what we go through to look nice for you. I hope you appreciate our work." I nodded. "I do now, my eyes have been opened. I see the light!" I said with a laugh, gaining one from Luna as well.

We quickly finished a breakfast of eggs, hash, and hay(which much to my surprise was pretty good) and cleaned up the kitchen. Luna gave each of us a kiss on the cheek(yes, Twilight too) and stated that she needed to get back to the palace, as she had duties to attend to and missed her sister. We hugged her and said our goodbyes, tears in our eyes. She looked at both of us with a smile. "I shall miss you both, but I will keep in touch with letters and I will make sure to come back to you when I can. I love you both and we will be together again soon, I Pinkie promise." We hugged her again and she trotted out the door. This left just Twilight and I in a now strangely quiet room. It seemed less like home without Luna there, and I could tell Twilight felt the same way.

Dash walked in the library and looked over at us, taking notice of our somber expressions. She frowned a bit. "Luna had to go back, didn't she?" Twi and I nodded. Dash closed her eyes and sighed, then smiled. "Don't worry you two, she'll be back before we know it." I looked up at Dash and showed a genuine smile. She came over and hugged both me and Twilight. This made me feel a little better and Twilight cracked a smile as well. "I promise, it's going to be okay. It's not like we're never going to see her again…she's like family." Dash said with a smile. I tilted my head in confusion at first…but then realized Dash was right. It took me a moment to realize just how close we all were with Luna. Family…that felt like the right word. Twilight looked at me and smiled. We had become a family right before my eyes, and I hadn't even noticed. It just felt so natural. It scared me for a moment at just how easy it was going, but seeing Dashie's smiling face made my worries melt away.

Dash had left again to pick up her duties on the weather team, as she had been slacking a bit. I felt kinda bad until she told me it was worth it. Twilight also had work to do, as she had been shirking her studies. I gave her a kiss before I left, leaving her and Spike to work. I decided to take a walk in the park to clear my mind. I came to a main square with a fountain and benches to see Vinyl sitting on a bench next to a familiar mint-green unicorn. I chortled at the way she was sitting. _'Guess the fan fictions were right.'_ I trotted over to the duo with a smile. "Hey Vinyl! How ya been, girl?" Vinyl looked over at me and smiled. She jumped off the bench tackled me to the ground, hugging me. "Man Steel, it's been a long time. Where have ya been?" I chuckled and smiled, returning the hug. "Oh you know, here and there. How's the music going?" She grinned and winked at me. "It's going great. Dark came by the other day and showed me how to make that dubstep music you showed me. I played it for the first time at one of my shows last night…and the crowd went nuts. Thanks for that, Steel." She stepped off of me and I stood up with a grin as well. "No prob, Vinyl. Always here to help a fellow musician." I then looked over at the new unicorn, realizing I hadn't even introduced myself. Vinyl noticed too and took the lead. "Oh I'm sorry, Lyra this is Steelbreaker. He's a friend of mine. Steelbreaker, this is Lyra Heartstrings. We've been friends for I don't even know how long." I looked at Lyra and smiled. She started blushing profusely. _'So cute…'_ I approached her and held out a hoof. "It's nice to meet you Lyra." She stared at me with a dreamy expression for a moment. She must've realized what she was doing and shook her head, regaining her composure. She grabbed my hoof in hers and shook it. "It's nice to meet you too, Steel. Vinyl has told me a lot about you. I was wondering when I was going to meet you." She started staring again with that dreamy expression. I grinned. "Lyra you might want to blink once in awhile so your eyes don't dry out." She blushed and looked away, clearing her throat. "Y-yeah, sorry." I felt Vinyl pop up in my head. _'She totally digs you, Steel.'_ I grinned at Vinyl and nodded.

Vinyl had to leave to set up her show for tonight, and as expected Lyra chose to stay with me in the park. I wished Vinyl good luck and she left, leaving me and the little unicorn sitting on the bench. I was slumped down in the bench, sitting much the same as Lyra was, and she noticed. She tilted her head at me. "You sit like that too? Wow…I thought I was the only one." I chuckled. "Well Lyra, it felt better with my old body…" my hoof shot up to my mouth. _'Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit…'_ She looked at me very confused. "What do you mean 'my old body'?" I sighed in defeat. "Alright I can tell you because I already have the feeling you're going to be a good friend to me. You have to swear that you won't tell anypony else though. This is a super-duper-mega secret, you got it?" She nodded. "Okay…I'm not from this world." She stared at me for a second before bursting out laughing. "Haha, very funny Steel…" She stopped and noticed that I was staring at her, straight-faced. She grew uneasy. "Steel…you're scaring me a little bit. This joke isn't funny anymore." I sighed in annoyance. "I kinda figured you wouldn't believe me, so I'll just show you." I leaned over and touched my horn to her forehead, focusing on passing on the memory of my first meeting with Luna, back on Earth. After the transfer, Lyra just sat there with her mouth hanging open. I must have been five minutes before she spoke. "W-wow…you weren't joking." I shook my head. "No, I wasn't. You believe me now?" She nodded. "How is this possible though? I mean, I've always hoped Terra wasn't the only world out there, but I never really thought about it beyond that." I laughed. "Well I may be an alicorn now, but you're sitting with a genuine alien." She hopped off the bench and started bouncing around in excitement. "This is so COOL! I never thought in a million years…" I grabbed her with magic and sat her down on the bench. "The whole reason I told you to keep it a secret was to not cause a scene. Well, you're causing one. I know you're excited, but please control yourself in public." She looked crestfallen for a moment before smiling at me and nodding in agreement.

Lyra and I walked around the park for quite some time before settling beneath a tree. I propped my self up against it and Lyra sat next to me. "So Lyra, I just realized that I don't really know that much about you. What's your story?" She smiled. "Well, I've lived in Ponyville most of my life. I moved here when I was just a filly with my mother. She was a doctor at the hospital." I realized she said "was", and I found myself strangely curious. "'Was'? What does she do now?" She lost her smile and looked down at the ground. "Oh...I'm sorry Lyra. I had no idea." She closed her eyes and sighed. "It's okay, you didn't know. Not many ponies do. Just Bon Bon and Vinyl. That's about it. And before you ask no, Bon Bon and I aren't together." I chuckled. "Not that I was going to ask, but okay." She furrowed her brow and then sighed. "I'm sorry Steel. I was teased a lot in school for being a filly-fooler and I guess it still bothers me. Most ponies in Ponyville don't really care, but once in awhile there's one pony or another that wants to make a big deal about it when they see us in public. Bon Bon and I are just good friends, nothing more. Besides, she doesn't 'swing' that way." she said, looking up at me. "Don't worry Lyra, I don't judge one way or the other, it's not my place to do so. I also don't really have a problem with said lifestyle...you love who you love." I chuckled. "It's kinda funny, Vinyl got it in her head that you liked me that way." She was silent for a moment before responding. "Well actually..." I raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Well, I'm flattered to have caught the eye of such a pretty and cool mare." She blushed. "C'mon Steel, I'm not pretty. Now _Vinyl _is pretty. I'm just...plain." _'Great, another Fluttershy...'_ "I don't give compliments just to give them, Lyra. If I say you're pretty, you're pretty. Accept the compliment." I said sternly. She blushed and rolled her eyes with a smile. "Well when you put it that way, I guess I have no choice." I nudged her with a smile. "There, was that so hard?" She rolled her eyes again. "Well Steel, it's been fun but I have to get going. Bon Bon will be expecting me at home, we're going out tonight to Vinyl's club. Will I see you again?" I nodded. "I'm staying at Twilight's place. Drop by if you're in the neighborhood." She nodded. "Alright Steel, I'll see ya!" she said before scampering off.

By now it must have been a little after 5:00pm, as the sun was just starting to touch the horizon. I headed home with a smile on my face. I couldn't deny that I liked Lyra, but it wouldn't be fair to be more than a friend to her without my girls being okay with it. I may have settled into the idea of multiple marefriends, but I still had my morals. I took my time getting home to find a note on the door written in handwriting I didn't recognize. It simply said, "Northern Cliffs, 6:00pm. Come alone." For some reason this awakened a nameless fear in my heart. I burst through the front door to find my brother sitting on the couch with Spike, my mother and sister standing next to the kitchen with sad faces. Spike was crying. I felt fear well up inside me. "Where is she?" I asked with panic in my voice. Dark looked up. "We don't know, she was gone when I got home." I really started panicking now. "When was the last time anyone saw her?" My brother shrugged. "I haven't seen her since this morning." I looked at the clock...5:43.

I left the library and took to the skies, flying faster than I ever have. I flew to where I thought these Northern Cliffs were, and landed in a clearing next to a cliff face. I looked around before I saw them - an entire squad of twelve armored gryphons. I saw Twilight being held by the one in front, some sort of weird object on her horn. Her eyes widened when she saw me and she started struggling. The beast in front slapped her, making her stop. I flinched and ground my teeth in anger. "What do you want?" I roared. The one in front smiled. "Well if I was briefed correctly, you have my captain locked in the Canterlot dungeons. We propose a trade...our captain for this unicorn. Agree and everyone walks away happy. Disagree..." He dug a claw into Twilight's side and drew a long cut from her shoulder to her cutie mark, causing Twilight to scream in pain through her gag. I growled but figured it best to not argue, and nodded. "Fine. Hold on." I made contact with Celestia. _'Celestia, it's Steel. We have a situation at the Northern Cliffs.'_ I felt her connect with my eyes and heard her gasp. _'Is that Twilight? This is TREASON! They will pay for this...'_ I growled. _'Later Celly. They want those gryphons in the dungeon or they're going to torture her...possibly kill her.'_ I heard Celestia gasp again. _'Okay Steel, I'll prepare transport. Just wait, we'll be there within an hour. Please distract them somehow!'_ I glared at the gryphon that held Twilight. "Princess Celestia herself states transport is being arranged for your comrades." The gryphon laughed. "Do you think me a fool? I wasn't hatched yesterday you know. I warned you..." With that, he grasped Twilight's foreleg and punched her in the chest hard. I heard a resounding _crack_, and Twilight fell to the ground, breathing with much labor, tears flowing from her eyes.

With that _crack_, something in me snapped. I felt my armor cover my body, but something was different...I began to feel the sensation of ice underneath my skin, spreading quickly...

**Perspective change - Twilight**

Pain...so much pain. Can't breathe. I'm going to die...this is it. I started to cry, already missing my friends. I just wanted to go home...why did this have to happen? Why? I closed my eyes. _'I'm so sorry, Steel. I'm sorry I wasn't stronger...'_ I was ready to resign myself to my fate. I opened my eyes and looked at Steel...and was suddenly afraid again. Something was happening to him, I didn't know what but I could feel the magic in the air. It made my horn tingle. His armor was covering him, but I could feel magic flowing into him from the surrounding air. I felt something in the air...something that reminded me of Luna when she was Nightmare Moon...

Hatred...

I saw dark clouds forming overhead, casting the bright day into blackness. Steel was clenching his teeth so tight I thought they were going to crack, and he was snorting like a mad bull. I felt the air around me suddenly get very cold, and I could see my breath through the rag that had been stuffed in my mouth. Steel began to be covered in some sort of darkness, as if the light from around him was just ceasing to exist...it was like the air itself became black. His body continued to drink it in and I saw him start to grow taller, larger, and more menacing until the energy surrounding him obscured my view and all I saw was a dark cloud of crackling energy. The cloud started to take shape, and it only scared me more. It looked like Steel, but with a flowing white mane and tail that looked like ice crystals, and armor of blue like the ocean. Its fur was no longer silver, but instead a pale blue to match the armor. Its cutie mark was a sword that looked like it was made of ice. The pony then opened its eyes of pale blue and smiled at the gryphon that had hit me. "Hello there. I heard from a friend that you enjoy torturing helpless ponies. Is that right?" Its voice had the sound of howling winds with it. The gryphon growled. "Who are you?" The pony laughed. "I have no name, but I suppose you'll need a name to remember me by in the afterlife. You may call me Frostrender." The gryphon laughed. "What a foolish name. I'll be sure and inscribe it on your headstone." The leader gryphon lunged at him. Frostrender simply stood there with a smile on his face. When the gryphon was inches away, Frostrender blinked...and the gryphon froze solid, falling to the ground. Frostrender simply looked down at the frozen body, a wide grin on his face. "Tsk tsk...it's too bad, you would have made a nice captain one day, I'm sure." With that, he stomped on the frozen gryphon, shattering it into pieces. The other gryphons screeched in alarm and started to run away. "Oh no, we're not finished yet, young ones." said the frosty alicorn. A freezing gale blew the gryphons back to the ground, in front of us. They started to scramble to get up, but Frostrender blinked again, and their four limbs were frozen to the earth. The pony finally looked down at me. "Hello Twilight Sparkle, will you be alright? Your Steelbreaker is concerned." The mention of Steel's name as if he were here gave me comfort for some reason. I nodded. "I think I have a few broken ribs, but if I get to the hospital I'll be okay I think." Frostrender smiled. "We are relieved. We apologize you had to see this, but they committed the crime of violence against a loved one. Do not worry, no others need die here today. Your princesses will want words with this bunch."

**Perspective change - Celestia**

_'By the gods, please be okay Twilight and Steel...please...don't die.'_ I had lost control as soon as the carriage doors had closed when we left Canterlot. I found myself sobbing uncontrollably. I could not bear the loss of Twilight...she was as a daughter to me. It vexed me to no end that this trade would be giving the gryphons the power to attack my student and her friends again, but her immediate safety was more important. As we flew near the cliffs, I looked out the window of the carriage to see a large swirling cloud, creating a blizzard on the ground. _'Hmm...that is not natural weather. Have the weather team been shirking their duties?'_ I tapped Luna to get her attention. "Sister, does that storm look normal?" She gazed out of the window and narrowed her eyes. She suddenly sat up quickly with frightened eyes. "Celly, they are there! I'm sure of it! Land the carriage now!" Not willing to wait for the carriage to land, I flung the door open and flew out. Luna was shocked, but followed. As we approached the storm, I could feel a very familiar energy in the air. Luna suddenly stopped in fear. "Sister...that feels like..." I nodded. "Nightmare Moon. That cannot be possible though, she no longer exists. It must be something else. Come sister, we cannot wait."

We flew with all haste into the storm. The blizzard was intense, but I caught the sight of a lavender body in the snow. I landed next to her...Twilight. "Twilight! Are you okay?" She looked up and smiled with pain. "I'm okay princess. He saved me." she said, pointing with a hoof towards the cliff. There stood what seemed to be the very embodiment of winter, looking out over the ocean. I approached the pale blue pony. It didn't even turn around. "Your Twilight Sparkle is injured. Princess Luna, you must get her to the hospital now. I would have a word with your sister." Luna's eyes widened in fear. "W-what are you?" The figure turned and frowned. "Princess Luna, your friend is in a great deal of pain. There will be time for questions later. For now, tend to her." Luna stared for a moment at the pony, then nodded. She ran to Twilight and disappeared in a flash.

I strode to the icy figure, its smile warm in contrast to the air around me. I stopped in front of it, looking deep into its icy blue eyes. "Who are you?" I asked. It bowed to me. "It is an honor, Princess Celestia. I am Frostrend. You could say I am...and aquaintence of Steelbreaker's." I was confused. "I do not understand. The energy I feel in this place...that is the energy of Nightmare Moon. Is she here?" It laughed and shook its head. "The energy you feel does not belong to Nightmare Moon. The energy you feel is the energy of pain...sadness...and hatred. The same fate that befell your sister has befallen Steelbreaker. I am the result." I suddenly felt fear...and sadness for my sister. I stood tall with an unreadable expression. "What do you want, Frostrend?" He smiled at me. "I am Steelbreaker's judgment to those that would do harm to those he loves." He pointed at the chunks of ice that were on the ground behind me. I looked...oh my... "I've already passed my judgment to the one that did harm to Twilight Sparkle. The ones behind you are his comrades. Like him, they were determined to torture and kill your beloved student. I have no ill will towards them...they are yours to decide what to do with." I nodded but did not break his gaze. "Why are you here? You do not seem to be evil as Nightmare Moon was." He laughed. "The emotions that called both myself and the one known as Nightmare Moon into being are not evil emotions. The reason Nightmare Moon was as she was is because of the state of the beings living here. As Steelbreaker explained, humans have the potential for both good and evil. Because of this, they also have the ability to control what your world considers 'evil' emotions. Princess Luna did not grow in the world that Steelbreaker did, and so these emotions were too powerful and corrupting for her pure soul and heart. She could not control them, and completely lost herself. Steelbreaker is not lost, and is perfectly fine. He is resigning control to me because he wishes you to hear this from the horse's mouth, so-to-speak. Do not worry yourself, I am only a danger to our enemies. With that I bid you adieu."

I felt the air suddenly warm and the sky cleared. I noticed the ice began to melt, so I cast a knockout spell at the gryphons previously frozen to the ground. A bright flash came from in front of me, and I found myself looking at the sleeping form of Steelbreaker.

**Perspective change - Steelbreaker**

I woke up in a room I was unfamiliar with. I looked up to see what looked to be a magic painting of the night sky above me. I tried to move, but found myself restrained by a hoof and a wing. I looked down to see a white wing and a blue hoof. I saw that Luna had fallen asleep snuggling me, and Celestia had draped a protective wing both of us. I yawned loudly and Celestia began to stir, as did Luna. Luna's eyes fluttered and she looked at me. I leaned over and kissed her softly. "Good morning, beautiful." She went wide-eyed and fell backwards off of the bed. I heard giggling from Celestia. The solar princess gazed down on me. "That was quite the experience, Steel. Are you okay?" I nodded. "Yeah I'll be alright. It just took a lot out of me. Is Twi going to be okay?" Luna stood up and nuzzled next to me. "Twilight had a few broken ribs, but with the help of myself and a few choice unicorn doctors, she is like new. She is resting at the moment." Luna said to me. I relaxed and smiled. "Thank you Luna. I'm sorry if I scared either of you." Celly laughed. "I was afraid at first, but after Frostrend explained himself, I am not worried." I breathed a sigh of relief. "What about you Luna...you still love me I hope?" She nodded. "I do. I apologize for my expression, I was in shock. I worried that somehow Nightmare Moon had returned." I laughed. "Well all is well, Luna. I'm okay and Twilight is going to be okay. What about those gryphons?" Celestia grimaced. "They'll be lucky if they ever see my sun again. The one that Frostrend disposed of got off easy, I'll say that. I do not take kindly to threats and violence made towards the ones I love either." I smiled. "Okay, well where's Twilight? I want to see her." Luna smiled at me and nuzzled my face. "She's at the library sleeping. It is near midnight, so I am positive she is awake without you there. You should get going." I frowned. "Are you sure Luna? I don't want to leave you so soon. I miss you." She kissed me softly. "I shall miss you as well, dear Steel. It will not be long before I will see you all again, I promise." I smiled at my beautiful goddess and kissed her back. "Very well, I'll be going now. Thank you for everything Celly!" and with that, I teleported to the library.

I found myself in the main room and quickly hurried upstairs to Twilight's room. I heard giggling and walked in. I found myself being stared at by Spike and Twilight, before they both broke into smiles. I walked over to the bed next to Twilight. Spike stood on the edge and hugged me. "Thanks for saving her, Steel...even if you did scare the hay out of her." I chuckled. "Anything I can do to help Spike." I then looked at Twilight. She looked tired, but okay otherwise. I smiled. "I don't know about you Twi, but I'm beat. Move over." She scooted over and I slid under the covers beside her. Spike turned off the light and smiled at me again before closing the door. Twilight was silent and just hugged me tight. "My hero!" I said, impersonating her voice. She giggled and shoved me. She then looked down in deep thought. "Steel...I was afraid. I was so afraid you were going to be lost like Luna was. I'm so glad that you're okay. And I have to say, I prefer you to be warm like this. I don't do so well with the cold." I laughed loudly. "Yeah well I'm just cool like that." She rolled her eyes. "That was a horrible joke." I then smirked at her before kissing her. "Yeah, but it's all good." The last thing I remember was looking into her lovely violet eyes before falling into a deep sleep.


	11. A Message from Steelbreaker

**A/N: Steelbreaker here with a notice to our readers! Luna and I were speaking and she came up with an idea that I think might be nice, tell me what you guys think. We've been receiving quite a few PM's with questions regarding a multitude of things ranging from what we were thinking about something, to what kind of cake we like the best. Well, the idea is that every 1st and 3rd Saturday of every month, we'll hold an interview between a few of us and the fans. That means first one will be this coming Saturday, 06/07/2012. For this first one I'll be available for your questions as well as Luna, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash. If you guys like the idea, send me PM's with your questions. **

**The ponies available for questions from you readers will change every time we do it. **

**Rules: We won't be revealing spoilers or anything of the sort, so if you're one of those impatient people, don't bother. Otherwise, let the questions flow and we'll answer them!**


	12. Ch 11: A Stroll in the Darkness

**A/N: Drew here with another stupenderiffic chapter! You'll notice more revealing of the main story in this chapter, as well as a few surprises. Hope you like! As always, R&R.**

**To AstralElebit - While I could very well make Steel all-powerful and whatnot, that would be boring. That is not going to be the case, as everyone knows no matter how powerful a protagonist becomes, there's always someone stronger or someone willing to exploit his flaws and weaknesses. I assure you, our hero here is no different.**

**To zsd - The dark commanding hand, claw, and/or hoof will be revealed all in good time. I will say there are a few, and all are threats to our friends. As far as "dating rights" as you call it, Celestia told me there is no limit to the amount of mares a single stallion can have in his harem, the most in history being twenty. The only rule of course is that the other mares need to be okay with each other.**

**To JB - I'm glad you liked the last chapter, man. If I may ask, what's the matter waking up covered in mares? I mean sure the whole needing to breathe thing, but still...**

**To Guest - Well I'm glad you're enjoying the story. As I've said, Steel is not and will not be all-powerful, make no mistake. He has a very critical flaw, and you may find his greatest strength may become his greatest weakness. As far as the sexuality goes, THERE WILL BE ORGIES! SO IT IS SAID, AND SO IT SHALL BE! Lol, jk. Nah this is rated T for a reason, while the show is rated G or K I think? Not to sound like a dick, but if you were looking for a story that'll keep your image of the real show completely un-tarnished, you're in the wrong place. This is a fan-fiction site after all.**

**And ON WE GO!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters associated with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, nor the original story.**

* * *

Chapter 11: A Stroll in the Darkness

**Perspective change - Spike**

I woke up in a bed Dark had made me in his apartment. Ever since Steel had gotten closer with Twi, I'd taken to sleeping in Dark's apartment in the basement. While I knew they weren't "screwing like rabbits" as Dark had said, I think with her finally finding a stallion she cared about that much, she deserved her privacy. Besides, Darkflight's room is awesome. It doesn't get cold down here like it does in Twi's room, and this "man cave" - as Dark had referred to it - gave me a place to get away from Twi when I need to. She's like a sister to me, and while I love her to death, we do bicker like siblings.

I didn't have to worry about being quiet, because Dark slept like a corpse, so I went over to the guitars that Steel had brought with him from Earth. In our spare time, Dark had been teaching me to play, and during one of his first days at his smithing job, he made me one my size - purple with green trim...just like me. I started to tune up my guitar when I heard a scream from upstairs. _'Ugh...what the hay...'_ "SPIKE! GET UP HERE RIGHT NOW!" ...that was Twi, and she sounded scared. I ran over to Dark and shook him hard. "Dark, get up! Something happened!" He mumbled something and opened his eyes with a growl and a yawn. "Dude, what's going on? Why did you wake me up?" "SPIKE, HURRY!" He looked up. "Was that Twilight? What's going on Spike?" I shook my head. "I don't know Dark, but she sounds really scared, c'mon!" We bolted up the stairs.

We ran all the way up to Twilight's room to find her crying and shaking Steel, screaming his name. He wasn't moving at all. Twilight looked at me in panic, tears in her eyes. "Spike, I can't get him to wake up!" I nodded. "Calm down Twi, freaking out isn't going to do any good. We need to get him to the hospital now." She nodded. I grabbed my saddlebag, and Twi cast her teleport spell. Next thing I knew, we were at the hospital in Ponyville. The staff up front just stared at us. I growled. "Don't just stand there, get a gurney!" One of the nurses nodded and ran off. I looked over to see Twilight cradling his head in her hooves, tears streaming down her face. She looked over to me and my heart almost broke. "I don't understand what happened, Spike. He was fine last night..." I nodded. "He'll be okay, Twi. I'll send a letter off to the princesses. They'll know what to do." With that, I pulled out a scroll from a saddlebag I'd brought and wrote a letter to Celestia, telling her what happened. I torched the scroll and it disappeared, on it's way to Celestia. A swarm of nurses and a doctor came and picked up Steel, placing him on a gurney and rushing him away. I then looked at Twilight again. "Twi, the other girls need to know about this, so Dark and I are going to go get them. Just wait here, we'll be back." She didn't look at me, but nodded.

**Perspective change - Rainbow Dash**

The sun woke me up from a great dream this morning, so I was a little cranky already. _'Ugh...I like daytime Celestia, but can't you put it off for just another hour?'_ I rolled out of my cloud bed and brushed my teeth and mane, then floated downstairs for some breakfast. Too lazy to really make anything, I just grabbed an apple and some water and walked outside. I sat down on the edge of my cloud and ate, admiring the sunrise. I may not be much of a morning pony, but I do know beauty when I see it. Of course I keep up the tough act around Applejack. She'd never let me hear the end of it.

"DASH!" I heard two voices yell. They startled me and I fell off my cloud. I landed on the ground to find Darkflight and Spike with panicked expressions. "Hey guys, what's up?" Spike was sitting on Dark's shoulders and we waved a claw to follow them. "Dash, something's wrong with Steel. He's at the hospital!"

I swear my heart must've stopped. My mouth went dry and I started trembling in terror. Steel? At the hospital? No...no that can't be right. I've seen him, he's strong. Why is he in the hospital? This has to be a mistake...this has to be a bad dream or something. I was frozen...I couldn't think...couldn't breathe.

It must have been pretty urgent because Dark just grabbed me and carried me, running at full speed back to Ponyville General. I still couldn't believe it...this had to be a dream.

This isn't happening...

This can't be happening...

**Perspective change - Applejack**

Steel's brother and Spike had run by the farm and told us to meet Twi at the hospital. They said something happened to Steel. I was so confused. Steel? Nah, that can't be right. This is the pony that stared down a timberwolf for Fluttershy. This is the pony that saved Twi from gryphons...twice. He didn't get hurt then...why was he in the hospital?

I walked in the front doors of the hospital and saw the other elements, minus RD, in the waiting room up front. Twi was in the corner with tear-stains on her face. She was just starin' ahead at nothin'. She didn't even move when I sat next to her. "Twi, how ya holdin' up?" She didn't move. "H-he was fine. I just talked to him last night. He was fine..." she whispered. She looked over at me and I saw the pain in her eyes, and fear. She broke into sobs when she looked at my face. I leaned over and wrapped my forelegs around her, and she buried her face in my chest. Nothing needed to be said, so I just let her cry and rubbed her back with a hoof.

A couple other ponies walked in. I recognized Vinyl Scratch and her friend Lyra, and two other ponies I didn't recognize. One of them was an earth pony, like me. She had a dark blue coat, and a shiny golden mane and tail. She didn't have a cutie mark. The other pony was a pegasus, bright red with purple mane and tail. She didn't have a cutie mark either. Both of them came and sat next to me and Twi, scared looks on their faces. The blue mare looked over at Twi, and then at me. "How is he? Is he okay?" I raised an eyebrow. "Ah don't mean ta sound heartless, but who are ya'll?" She smiled weakly. "I'm his mother." I was dumbstruck. "Kate?" She nodded. I looked over at the pegasus filly. "Jennie?" She nodded as well. _'When did this happen?' _Just then, the princesses burst in the doors. Luna was in a panic. "Where is he? Is he alright? Please somepony tell me something, anything!" She looked over and saw Twilight. I got up and motioned for her to sit next to Twi, which she accepted. I walked over to Princess Celestia. "Howdy princess. When did ya'll change Jennie and Kate?" She looked sad. "Well when I'd heard what happened, I knew they'd want to be here. Luna and I went to the library and explained everything, then changed them into their new forms. It may not be formal as Darkflight's was, but the circumstances caused me to opt for a non-formal approach." I nodded and she walked over with me to the waiting room and sat down on a small couch across from me, gazing at Luna before turning her attention back to me. "Any word yet?" I shook my head. "None yet, princess. Ah jus' got here not too long ago mahself." She stared down the hallway towards the double doors that lead to the intensive care unit. "I have an idea as to what's happening. I just pray I am right, for the alternatives are not good."

**Perspective change - Pinkie Pie**

No...no...this can't be true. Not after I just got to know him. After our little talk the other day, Steel officially knew me better than anyone now. It sounds bad, but he was closer to me than Dashie has ever been. I felt bad about this, but realized it was my own fault. I was always just so afraid that my friends wouldn't like me anymore if I wasn't "Pinkie Pie: Party Extrordinaire Pony". It made me a little mad at myself, but now wasn't the time for that.

The front doors banged open and there was Spike, Dark, and Dashie. Dashie looked a lot like Twilight did. Are those...tears? No...Dashie doesn't cry. Dashie never cries, she's the toughest pony ever!

But she _was_ crying...

I started to cry too, it was just too much. I saw Dashie sit next to Luna and Twilight. They all hugged and had tears flowing freely from their eyes.

...

Hours had passed, and we still hadn't heard anything from the doctors. Dashie was asleep with a frown on her face and Twilight and Luna had stopped crying. They didn't have a sad fearful look on their faces anymore. They looked...defeated. I know Luna and Twilight weren't the best at dealing with bad situations, but they were giving up already?

No...that's not good enough.

_'Now's the time Pinkie, they need to know who you really are. You need to be strong for them...strong for Steel, the way he was strong for you.' _I stood up and stomped a hoof loudly, growling. Everyone looked at me in confusion. I stared right at Twilight and Luna. "What are those looks for? Are you giving up already?" Luna started crying again. "Pinkie Pie, we have not heard anything in hours...it's starting to look hopele-" I cut her off. "Shut it!" This got everyone's attention...even Princess Celestia was staring at me in shock now, mouth hanging open. I was seething with anger. "Who do you think you are? You girls say you love him, but you're giving up now? How do you think Steel would feel if he knew you gave up on him this quickly? I'll tell you exactly how he'd feel...he'd be insulted. You all say 'I love you' to him all the time, but it looks to me like you don't mean it. If this is all the confidence you have in him, you don't deserve him." I stormed outside to get some fresh air.

I lay back against a bench near the front walkway, taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm down. _'They must not care about him as much as they think they do. If that's love, then I love him more than they do combined. Maybe this will wake them up to just how foalish they're acting.'_ I ended up sitting by myself for about twenty minutes before anypony came outside. I was surprised when I saw Celestia. She said nothing and simply sat down beside me. She was silent for a tense few moments before saying anything. "Pinkie Pie...what was that?" I stared at the ground, almost like I was trying to burn a hole in it. "That's called tough love, Princess Celestia. If you came out here to yell at me for it, go ahead. I don't feel sorry for what I said though. Somepony needed to say it, and since nopony else was going to, I did." I heard a gasp of surprise. "Pinkie, this isn't like you...what's wrong?" I shook my head and laughed. "That is what's wrong, princess...this is me. The party pony that you all know and love is only a part of who I am. I guess if you are all this surprised, I did a pretty good job at fooling all of you." She still seemed confused. "I don't understand, Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash knows you well...and even she was shocked to see you acting as you were." I shook my head again. "No, Dashie doesn't know me as well as she thinks she does. She knows the random pony who bounces everywhere she goes and has a smile on her face whenever she's in public. Steel is the only pony who knows me...the real me. Steel knows me better than any of my friends. It makes me a little sad, but that's the truth." I looked over at Celestia to see a pained expression on her face. It almost made me cry how much I was hurting her and all of my friends, but they needed this shock. Celestia looked over at me with a sad frown. "Pinkie, I apologize...I had no idea." I nodded. "I was hiding who I was for all these years because I was afraid my friends would stop liking me if they knew who I really was, and how I really felt. I'm happy most of the time...there's a reason the Element of Laughter chose me. Still, I get sad and mad just like every other pony. And you know what? It's okay. Steel helped me see that." I felt tears well up in my eyes, but fought them back. "If everypony else wants to think it's hopeless after such a short time, then fine...they can leave for all I care. They don't deserve to be there. I won't lose hope though...I won't give up on Steel. He wouldn't give up on any of us if we were in his position." Celestia smiled softly. "Pinkie, you are displaying a courage and will that I never thought you possessed. I honestly didn't think you had it in you." I laughed sadly. "Well princess, there's a lot of things that you, your sister, or any of my friends never thought I had in me." She nodded. "You are correct Pinkie Pie. Shall we go back inside?" I nodded and we walked to the waiting room.

As the princess and I walked back into the waiting room, I could feel everypony's eyes on me. Normally everypony staring at me would make me feel nervous. Instead, I felt proud. I knew I had done the right thing, and for the first time in my life, I was proud of myself for something other than a party I planned or a cake that I baked. I felt my mane and tail curl up back to normal, and I felt happy. I wasn't sad, because I knew Steel was going to be alright. He was too strong to let whatever this was stop him, and I knew that.

I sat down on a couch near the door by myself, looking down the hallway towards the patient rooms. I closed my eyes for a second and just let my mind wander. I began to realize that I really liked Steel. A year or two ago, I used to have a bit of a crush on Dashie, but even when I thought of her, I didn't feel like this. This wasn't the infatuation I felt when I liked Dashie...this was something else. Something..._more._ I didn't know if it was love because I'd never been in love before...but I definitely had strong feelings for Steel. I giggled a bit. _'If only my friends knew what goes on in my head...'_

A few minutes passed by and I felt someone sit beside me. I opened my eyes and looked to my right to see Luna sitting next to me, a smile on her face. She leaned over and hugged me tight, catching me a little off-guard. I returned the hug though. When we broke the embrace, she simply looked at me. "Thank you Pinkie. Thank you for helping us see our error. We should not have lost hope as we did." I waved a hoof off and smiled wide. "No problem, princess! I'm glad your frowny-wowny is turned upside-downy!" She giggled and I felt warmth in my chest. I loved it when my friends laughed.

After a few minutes, we saw a doctor walking down the hall towards us. I stood up and smiled at him. "Well? How is he doing?" The doctor looked confused. "Physically he's in perfect condition. I don't understand. I'm sorry, but he's in a coma...we just don't know why." I felt fear start to chill my insides, but I fought it back. I looked at all the ponies in the waiting room and smiled. "It's okay girls, he'll be alright, I Pinkie promise." They knew how I am about my promises, and thankfully this put them at relative ease. Celestia walked up to the doctor and nodded. "Thank you doctor. I need to see him." He nodded. "Of course, princess. Follow me please." and with that, they disappeared down the hallway.

**Perspective change - Steelbreaker**

Blackness...unending blackness. That's all I saw. What might have been hours ago - or years for all I know - I had decided to play a game of "bottles of beer on the wall"...only starting at one million, just to see how far I'd get. I thought it was weird that I was conscious of the fact that I was not conscious(which in itself is a sort of paradox), but that quickly faded into extreme boredom. I had gotten to 887,923 bottles of beer when I felt another presence behind me. Normally I would be a little cautious, but I was just happy I wasn't alone. I turned around to see Frostrender. "Wow Steelbreaker, you are really bored." I nodded. "I'm stuck here for Celestia knows how long, and I thought I would be by myself. I'm just trying to keep some semblance of sanity." Frostrender walked up to me and sat on his haunches. "Steelbreaker, you are in a coma." My eyes widened. "What? What happened to me? I don't remember getting hurt. Did I fall out of bed really hard or something while I was asleep?" He laughed and shook his head. "No Steelbreaker, in fact you are completely fine. And before you start worrying, you will come out of this coma very soon." I breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, but was still confused. "Well why am I in a coma in the first place then?" His eyes grew very stern. "It may be partially my fault. With the addition of me to your body, the levels of magic within you rose exponentially. Your alicorn body forced you into a coma to adjust itself. You will wake up when the process is complete." I was still confused. "Wait, this doesn't make sense. When Luna was Nightmare Moon, she never had this happen to her. I wasn't in Equestria at that time, but I'm pretty sure the news of the feared Nightmare Moon falling into a coma would have made headlines." He laughed at me again. "This is true, but you have to remember that your change was not the same as Luna's. Luna _became_ Nightmare Moon, whereas you and I are two separate entities within one body. Had Luna's change been as yours was, the same thing would have happened to her." I thought about it. It did make sense. Every body is meant to support one soul. I'm just glad my body is simply adjusting instead of dying. "Well okay then, when am I waking up?" He smiled. "Very soon actually. Since your mind works faster when you're sleeping, you will be waking up any minute now. However in reality, two weeks have passed." My eyes widened. "Two weeks! What the hell! Oh my God, the girls are going to kill me for putting them through this..." I could start to hear other voices around me and a faint "beep...beep...beep" sound. Frostrender smiled. "It is time to wake up, Steelbreaker. We shall speak again sometime."

"g...ov...ere..una...He's waking up!" I groaned and opened my eyes, and instantly felt an intense burning in them. "Please somepony turn off the lights!" I yelled in pain. I heard the clopping of hooves and a *click* as the lights turned off. I opened my eyes again to a mercifully darkened room. Everything was blurry so I rubbed my eyes. When I opened them again, I saw myself face-to-face with Dash. I smiled and pulled her into a tight hug. "Oh Dashie...you don't know how glad I am to see you." She giggled and hugged me back. I released the embrace and looked around the room. All my friends were there, even Celestia had made an appearance. Pinkie was smiling a giant smile. "See? What did I tell you! I told all of you he'd be fine but nooo, no one believes Pinkie Pie." I smiled and motioned Pinkie over to me. When she got close I grabbed her in a tight hug, making her blush something fierce. "Thank you so much Pinkie. Thank you for watching out for me." She giggled and nodded. "I knew you were going to be okay. You wouldn't let something as small as a coma take you down." I nodded. "Darn right." I looked around the room trying to spot Twilight when I felt a pair of hooves around my neck. Thinking it was Twilight I turned to my left with a smile, and found myself staring at a blue mare with a golden mane. "Umm...you're obviously glad I'm okay, so thank you for that...but who are you ma'am?" She looked at me and smirked. "What...don't know your own mother?" I stared with my mouth open. "Mom? Wh-when did this happen?" A small red pegasus with a violet mane and tail jumped on me, smiling. "The princesses changed us the day you got here." My eyes grew even wider. "Jen? Wow...this is intense. I might fall into another coma just from the shock." I felt a large hoof punch my shoulder. I turn to my right to see a very angry Luna. "Don't you dare, Steel!" I laughed. "Oh please, it was a joke. I'm not planning going anywhere anytime soon, Luna. You're stuck with me for awhile." She rolled her eyes and pouted. "Well it was not funny." I chuckled and pulled her into a tight hug, kissing her on the forehead. "I'm sorry I put you through this Luna. I'll make it up to you somehow, I promise." I began to see all my other friends close in, and was pleased to see Lyra there as well. I held up a hoof. "Whoa whoa, let's save the group hug for when we get outside please. I need to get out of this bed, I'm all stiff(giggity). Someone get a nurse please so I can sign out and get out of here." Nurse Redheart must have heard me because she stepped into the room. "Well hello there Steelbreaker, it's good to see you're awake. How are you feeling?" I grinned. "No offense Nurse Redheard, but I'm feeling like I want to get out of here." She giggled. "Very well, let me get the forms and we'll get you signed out."

After signing out I was wheeled out by Nurse Redheart. Because of hospital policy, I had to leave in a wheelchair, which I was none to happy with. All the same, I was happy to be leaving. After getting a few feet away from the hospital, I was tackled by ten ponies and one little dragon, while Celestia, my brother, and my mom looked on. I could have sworn I felt a hoof or two feel me up. Had I air in my lungs, I would have been laughing...it was great to be back.

We all headed home after I said goodbye to all my friends. Pinkie looked a little sad though. I walked over to her and ran my hoof through her mane. "What's wrong, Pinks?" She giggled. "Rainbow Dash calls me that." I laughed. "Well now Dash and me call you that. But what's wrong?" She huffed. "I'm glad you're okay Steel, but I kinda wanted to spend some more time with you. I know you have marefriends now, but..." I smiled. "It's okay Pinkie. I'm pretty tired today, so I'm probably just going to go to bed, but if you're not doing anything tomorrow I'd be more than happy to hang out with you if you're okay with Dashie, Twi, and Lyra coming too. I promised Lyra I'd hang out with her as well." She smiled her massive Pinkie smile. "I don't mind, I'll bring cupcakes! We'll have a picnic in the park!" I smiled. "That sounds great Pinkie." She started to bounce away but I grabbed her tail in my teeth. I yanked it back and pulled her into me, hugging her. "Thank you Pinkie." She blushed. "For what, Steelie?" I smiled and nuzzled her mane. "For giving everypony hope when they started to lose theirs." She smiled and returned the hug in earnest. "You're welcome...you all are." We broke the hug and she bounded away faster than she should have been able to. I missed Pinkie's odd physics...

When we arrived home we ate a quick dinner and got ready for bed. Dash helped me clean in the shower, as I felt like I needed one bad after a week in bed. Feeling refreshed I headed to Twilight's room to find only her there. "Twi, where's Luna?" She looked a little sad. "Luna had to leave. There's a lot of things to take care of back at the palace. She said she'd be back in two days though, so don't worry." I smiled. "Well that's good." I slid into bed and tried to fall asleep, but oddly found myself unable to, even with how exhausted I was. Twilight was soon snoring beside me, as was Dash, so I just headed out to the balcony to look at the stars. The air was chilly with winter being only a week away, so I closed the door behind me. I stepped out towards the railing and leaned my forelegs on it, just looking at the beautiful night sky Luna had no doubt made for me. I let my mind wander aimlessly for a bit before I found myself thinking about the world we left behind. I found it odd seeing as how I didn't really miss it. I realized the only emotion I felt towards Earth...was pity. Earth, a world where war was the norm. A world where someone being kind was so rare, it might as well be a super power. A world where everyone cared about themselves before anyone else. A world...where Celestia and Luna did not exist. I found it strange sometimes that I no longer even thought of Earth as a former-home. It was just a place I had stayed until Luna had come to get me and my family. My home is here now...and maybe, in a way, it always has been.

My thoughts were broken when I heard the door open behind me. I look down to my left and see a very sleepy looking cyan pegasus. "Hey Dashie, what are you doing awake?" She smiled at me, albeit a little sleepily. "You know I have trouble sleeping when you're not there. What are _you_ doing awake Steel?" I looked out again at the night sky. "Nothing...just thinking." She looked confused. "You're up in the middle of the night just thinking? What are you thinking about that's keeping you awake?" I shook my head. "I'm thinking because I'm awake, not the other way around, dearheart." She blushed at the pet name. She stood up against the railing as well, looking into the night sky. "You know Steel, your world is out there somewhere. If you miss it, I'm sure Luna could help you find it and get back." she said a little sadly. I chuckled and shook my head. "I was just thinking about that very planet Dashie, but not in that way at all. I don't miss Earth, not in the slightest. My home is here...I think it always has been in a way. I may not have always known about Equestria, and definitely not that it existed...but I think somewhere deep within, my soul always belonged here. I feel it in my very being...this is home. Here, with you and your friends...this is where I am meant to be." She sighed and leaned against me. "I love you Steel, and I'm so glad you're here. I'm glad you decided to come here when Luna asked you." I smiled and looked down at her, then planted a soft kiss on her lips. "I love you too, Dashie. When Luna asked me and told me my family could come, there was no contest. I liked you and your friends even before Luna came to get me. Knowing you in person just adds a whole new dimension to that connection. I'm glad I came here, and I'm glad I met you and all your friends. You don't have Earth to compare it to, so you have no idea how great you girls are."

We headed back inside after Dash started shivering. We climbed in the bed and I pulled Dash and Twilight close to me. Twilight murmured and smiled in her sleep, and Dash kissed me on the cheek. "Goodnight Steel. I'm glad you're back." I smiled at my rainbow wonder. "I'm glad I'm back too, love. Goodnight, Dash." I found myself awake for only a few more minutes before falling asleep...a smile on my face.


	13. Ch 12: The Warmth of Winter's Heart

**A/N: Steelbreaker and Drew here with more story coming at ya! We're enjoying a day off while writing this. Ahhh...nothing like peppermint Schnapps and some made-from-scratch banana nut bread. NOM. Jelly? You should be. Anyway, this story will be skipping ahead a bit as not much happens for a while. Fear not, anything important that did happen during the fast forward will be explained. I cried at one part while writing this story, so I hope you all like it. As always, R&R and let us know what you think.**

**To Vinyl Beat - Yes, more...much more. And cookies!**

**To zsd - **_**Steel: I do like Pinkie, she's a lot more interesting than I initially thought. I can't say whether or not we'll all get together, but I wouldn't be against it. As far as that stallion of old, I do praise his ability to keep twenty mares happy successfully. I however, do not ever plan to let things get that crazy. Not only is that a lot of mares to keep happy, but I'm not greedy. I only am interested in who is cool for me and my girls, not necessarily the hottest or the most popular. Applejack for example, just wouldn't work. I like her and trust her, but her stubborn personality gets on my nerves after awhile. **_**Drew: As far as the story, things are gonna settle down for a bit, as I don't want things to get too chaotic. If I'd wanted the story that way, I'd have made it into an adventure/drama.**

**To JB - **_**Steel: I happen to like waking up surrounded by my girls. Never gets old to me and wouldn't to anyone or pony else, if you love them. Besides, I don't like sleeping alone. I only have nightmares when I sleep alone, and I'd rather not wake up screaming. Something tells me my brother would kick my ass, and he's a lot stronger than me now. **_**Drew: As far as the story mixing up, I do try and do that when I can. Breaking the fourth wall too much or inserting too much random humor not part of the story line tends to take away from the credibility of the story. I might give it a try in a chapter or two to see how it works out though.**

**We're really pleased with the story thus far and we'd like to extend a thank you to our new and loyal fans. There'll be plenty more to come of course, so we do hope you enjoy. If you know of any of your friends that might like the story, pass it on to them. I'm not a fan-whore, but I do want people to read and enjoy my work. **

**With that out of the way, ON TO THE STORY!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters associated with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, nor the original story.**

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Chapter 12: The Warmth of Winter's Heart

It's been about three weeks since my coma, and things have gotten back to normal for the most part. Twilight and Luna didn't sleep too well for the first week, as they kept waking up in a panic, checking to make sure I was okay. This of course also meant that I didn't sleep well either. It made me happy that they cared about me so much, but at the same time the lack of sleep made me cranky. I was relieved when their fears abated. Dash strangely enough didn't seem to hold the same fear. At first I was worried that she didn't care about me as much as the others did, but I instead found it was because she knew I'd be okay, no matter what.

I love my girls...

Pinkie and I had gotten closer as well, and while we weren't together, we were definitely almost as close as I was with any of my other girls. Thankfully Luna, Twilight, and Dash loved Pinkie and didn't mind in the least, so I was confident that should the time arise that Pinkie wanted to be with me, everything would work out okay. Twilight and Luna were never as close to Pinkie as Dash was, so they had no problem with who she really was. Dash however had a bit of a breakdown. She felt that by not knowing her friend as well as she should, she was a failure. Pinkie assured her that she was a great friend, and that it was her that should have not hidden who she was. Dash seemed okay with this, and set about getting to know the real Pinkie Pie. I was pleased when the two old friends became closer than they'd ever been, and they were both all smiles around each other.

My mom and Jen settled into the new life of a pony very quickly, and made friends with all the townsponies as well. It bugged me for some reason when my mom took a liking to Big Mac, and he to her. I quickly got over it though and was happy that she found a man - or stallion in this case - she liked. My sister became really good friends with the CMC, even though she was five years older than them. Thankfully she hadn't started dating anypony yet, which I was thankful for. When that happens I feel sorry for whoever that poor colt is. Two older brothers with one being an alicorn and the other a dragon? He better watch himself.

We had all spent these weeks adding on and renovating the library, making it bigger and better. The library was now twice the size it had been with a book collection that rivaled the Royal Library of Canterlot. We decided to keep the central structure of the tree for Twilight's sake. My mom and Jen now had their own rooms, and Twi's room was now on the new third floor. Twi's old room had become a study, and the old guest room had been enlarged and split into two rooms that made up Jen and my mom's rooms. An extra washroom had been put in the basement for Mason, and Spike permanently moved in with him. We also set about insulating the entire building after I told Twi why it would help. All I can say is thank God and Celestia for magic. What would have taken months on Earth only took two and a half weeks, especially with all Twi's friends helping. Lyra had helped too, and her and I had gotten very close as a result. She became my fourth marefriend after I ran it by Twi and the rest of the girls, who all were very accepting and pleased, especially Dash. I think she has a _thing_ for Lyra.

Hearth's Warming was two months away and was coincidentally on December 25th, which I found funny. Dashie's birthday was coming up in a week though on November 2nd, and I was walking in the snowy town with Pinkie trying to find something to get her. "Well Pinkie you've known Dashie longer than I have, what do you think she'd like?" Pinkie shook her head. "This gift isn't supposed to be from me Steel, it's supposed to be from you. She's your marefriend, you know her well enough to find something she'd enjoy." I rolled my eyes. "Gee thanks for the help Pinkie. I mean I know she loves the Wonderbolts, but they aren't performing again until Spring." She giggled. "Yeah, but I know you'll find something nice for her, Steelie. You're a good stallion, I know you'll come up with something." I thought for a second when it hit me. "Oh! I know what to get her!" and with that I ran off to Rarity's, Pinkie amazingly having a hard time keeping up.

I arrived at Rarity's to find(big surprise) Spike working with her. He'd had another growth spurt with the winter season, and was now as tall as Rarity was, and he could actually look her in the eye now. Rarity had started to take notice of him, much to his delight. While I never thought he _acted _like a baby dragon, now he didn't look like one either. Pinkie and I walked in the boutique and Rarity smiled at both of us. "Hello Pinkie and Steel, what can I do for you on this lovely winter day?" I smiled. "Well Rarity, as you know Rainbow Dash's birthday is coming soon, so I'm here to ask for something for her." She smiled and raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Well what did you have in mind, Steel?" I looked to Pinkie and smiled, then turned my attention back to Rarity. "Well Rarity we all know how much Dashie loves flying, and how much she loves the Wonderbolts. I'd like to get her a flight suit made, like the Wonderbolts have. And, I have ideas for the design as well." Rarity tapped her hoof on her chin in thought, and then smiled. "I believe Rainbow Dash would simply love that, and I have just the fabric for it. The fabric is soft and stretchy, yet strong, and is also waterproof. I had bought it some time ago and just have not had a use for it. I think this would be the perfect thing to use it for."

Rarity and I set about taking down the designs and colors for Dash's gift. After an hour of brainstorming, we had come up with a great design. Thankfully because of my new job as a trainer for the guards in Canterlot, I finally had bits of my own to buy things with. "So Rarity, how much do you think this'll be?" She furrowed her brow in thought. "Well this fabric was very expensive, and the tailoring that will be needed will take time. I think one-hundred bits should do it, does that sound fair?" I nodded. "That sounds great Rarity, and I must say it's quite a good buy." She smiled. "Very well, I will get started Steelbreaker. You may pay for it when you pick it up. It will take about three days to make, so come back Saturday afternoon. I am most excited to get working on this, it will be one of my greatest works!" I nodded to Rarity. "Alright then, Pinkie and I will let you get started. Thanks Rarity. Let me know if there's anything you need." She nodded and closed the door to her "inspiration room", getting to work.

Pinkie was bouncing around me as we walked through town towards the park, where the fillies and colts were playing with their friends. My sister was there as well, playing some version of hide-and-seek with her friends. Pinkie and I sat on a bench at the edge of the park, just watching everyone. I draped a wing around her to keep her warm, and she just looked at the sight before us. "It's really pretty, Steel. Did winter look like this on Earth?" I shook my head. "No, it didn't. Because of the vehicles we used, most of the snow would end up piled on the sides of the road, or dirty from all the dirt and air pollution. It rarely kept the pure white, like it does here." She nodded and smiled. "You don't seem to miss Earth very much at all, Steel." I smiled and shook my head softly. "No Pinkie, I don't. I love it here. Earth never really felt like home to me. It took coming here for me to realize that." I focused on an essence inside of me. _'Hey Frostrender, the day is pretty nice and I've been working on my spell. I think I can give you a few hours if you want. You interested?' _I felt a happy feeling from within me. _'Yes Steelbreaker, that would be very kind of you, thank you.'_ The past week I had been working on another improvised spell to give Frostrender his own body for a time. It was a passive spell that I needed to keep active, but through practice I'd gotten better at channeling it. It's gotten to the point now to where I don't have to think about keeping it going, and the duration has increased to a few hours now. I was worried at first about him, but he was still me, and I knew he wouldn't hurt anypony. I focused on the feeling of the ice within me - Frostrender - and brought it to the surface and out. A ball of soft blue light settled into the snow before me, and took the shape of Frostrender in a flash. I saw the small elemental alicorn standing before me and I nodded. "Have fun Frostrender, I think you've earned it since helping me save Twilight from those gryphons. You make one hell of a first impression, I'll say that." He smiled and chuckled. "Well I am you after all, so I aim to please." He nodded and bounded off like a playful colt. I cast the spell for the first time a week ago, and found it strange that he seemed so much younger when he had his own body...even his voice was different. I didn't mind though, that just meant he could enjoy himself more with the younglings of Ponyville. Pinkie looked up at me. "That was really nice of you, Steelie. I know he enjoys it." I nodded while still looking at my other. "Yes I know. I like to think that even though his first use was for a fight, that isn't all there is to him. He reminds me a lot of myself when I was younger." Pinkie giggled and shoved me. "Now I know what Twilight means when she says you sound old." I chuckled and nuzzled her mane.

Luna had joined Pinkie and I in the park shortly thereafter and we all sat on the bench just enjoying the day. I was happy with the more regular schedule that Luna had now. With some help from Twilight's organizational skills, Celestia and Luna had much more free time of their own. It was now not uncommon to see Celestia in town greeting her subjects as one would greet a friend, and Luna was able to stay with us most of the time, only going back to the palace on the weekends. Celestia had become much closer with all of us, so much so that now she simply asked us to call her by name. It almost felt like I had a second mother watching over me, and I was happy with my new family in Equestria.

Before I knew what had happened, I fell asleep on the bench to be awakened by Pinkie. "Steelie get up, it's too early to be sleeping!" I laughed. "Sorry Pinkie, I was just so comfortable that I couldn't help myself. What time is it anyway?" Luna looked up at the sun for a moment. "I believe it is just after 1:00pm." I hopped up "Oh no, we were supposed to meet Twilight at Sugarcube Corner! Come on, let's go!" We ran through the snow-blanketed town and arrived at Sugarcube Corner to see an annoyed Twilight standing next to the front counter. "How nice of you all to show up, finally." I smiled sheepishly. "Sorry Twi, I completely forgot. So what's going on?" She smiled. "Well first of all I want to get some lunch with all of you. Then, we need to get Rainbow Dash a cake designed for next Thursday. You did remember it's her birthday, right?" I nodded. "Yep, and Rarity's helping me with a present. I think she's going to like it."

Pinkie hopped behind the counter and grabbed a tray full of apple strudels and a few cupcakes. We paid for the meal and ate the lovely pastries. I'll never get sick of these things. Pony anatomy must be different because I'd have diabetes by now if I were a human, with as many sweets as Pinkie makes us. After finishing the meal we all sat in the corner window drinking hot chocolate, Twilight cuddled up next to Luna, and Pinkie leaning back against my chest. Luna gave me a knowing look and a soft smile, which I grinned at. We just relaxed for the next hour or so, talking about random things while we waited for Dash to get off work. Apparently blizzards could happen very easily, so this was the busiest time of year for Dash.

The rainbow pegasus walked in the door and nearly tackled me and Pinkie in a hug. "Ugh, winter always seems to take all my time up. It's been like three days since I've seen you guys last." She then moved to Luna and Twilight and gave them a hug as well before sitting in between the four of us. Pinkie hopped up and made a hot chocolate for Dash as well, which she took with a smile. I nodded at the cyan mare and grinned at her. "Well Dash I know you've been busy, but we all love it whenever we see you, even if it's just for a few minutes. Speaking of the weather, how are things this week?" She took a sip of the hot cocoa drink and set it down. "Well that's part of the reason I had to make sure I saw you guys today. There's going to be a blizzard tomorrow until Sunday. Cloudkicker and I are going to be warning the rest of Ponyville about it too after I leave here." I tilted my head in confusion. "Why the need for a blizzard Dash? I still don't really understand how weather works here." She rolled her eyes, as if it should've been innate knowledge or something. "When too much moisture gathers in the air, it can cause all kinds of problems. It can make it so that the clouds won't move where we want them to, and also make it so that the storms are a lot worse than normal. Blizzards are never a good thing, but if we didn't schedule one ourselves, we'd get a worse one that would be uncontrollable, and that would be bad." I nodded. "Yeah that makes sense. Anything we should do to prepare?" She nodded. "Yeah, stock up on food and water. The snow will pile up around doors and some lower windows, so unless you climb out a high window, you're not going to be able to leave the library. The good news is that after this blizzard, I'll get a few days off." I smiled. "To think it would take a blizzard to be able to spend time with our Dashie. You should schedule crazy weather more often." She giggled. "I'll be sure and bring that up at the next meeting."

We all just sat there enjoying each others company until Dash had to leave about twenty minutes later. We left with her and bid her goodbye, her assuring us that she'd meet us at the library when the blizzard started. I watched the rainbow blur speed off towards Cloudsdale before walking with my group towards the library. We were about halfway there when Lyra walked up. "Hiya everyone, it's good to see you all!" She rushed up and embraced me in a tight hug, surprisingly strong for such a small pony. I hugged her back and the others joined in too. Lyra started giggling uncontrollably. "It's like a hug party!" I rolled my eyes. "It's like we have a second Pinkie Pie sometimes." Pinkie looked at me and huffed. "What's wrong with that, Steelie?" I laughed and pulled the pink pony into a strong embrace. "Absolutely nothing, Pinks. I personally could never have too much of you." Pinkie blushed and giggled. "Steelie stop it, you're making me blush." I smirked. "Well that is the idea." I looked at Lyra. "Anyway we're all heading back to the library, care to join us?" She nodded. "Actually Steel, I was wondering if I could stay the night. Bon Bon finally started dating a stallion and I'm sure she wants some privacy, seeing as how she's bringing him back to the house for the first time." I nodded with a snort. "Bon Bon's about to get BIZAY!" Luna rolled her eyes at me with a smile and then looked down at Lyra. "Of course you may stay with us Lyra, you are always welcome and there is more than enough room." Lyra smiled wide and gave Luna a hug, making her blush. I just laughed. A small blue alicorn cantered up and waved at me. "Hey Steel, thank you for today, I appreciate it." I nodded at Frostrender with a smile. "No problem buddy. It's about that time, you ready?" He nodded and placed his hoof on my shoulder. I felt a tingling in my horn, and I saw him dissipate into a small blue ball of light. The ball of light touched my horn and disappeared. Luna, Twilight, and Lyra just stared at me with wide eyes. "What was...how..." said Twilight. I chuckled. "I thought Frostrender deserved some time on his own to enjoy himself, so I created a spell to make it so." I just laughed and we continued on to the library.

When we got back, my mother was on her way out. "Off to see your man again?" I said with a smirk. She nodded. "Why yes, I am. I'll be home late, don't wait up." I shook my head and stepped inside. The building was much warmer since I had gotten it insulated, so much so that my brother didn't mind being upstairs now. He was actually sitting with Applejack in front of the newly installed fireplace in the reading room(it was such a pain to get the permits for that). He and Applejack had gotten rather close over the past week or so, after he helped her at the orchard when Big Mac hurt his leg. I hadn't thought he'd be able to pull it off, but he seemed to have caught the eye of the Element of Honesty. I guess people really can change for the better. He looked up at me and just nodded with a smile and I nodded back. AJ waved to me and I grinned knowingly at her. She blushed and I laughed at her.

We all sat down for a dinner of sautéed mushrooms with roasted potatoes and carrots, courtesy of yours truly. Thanks to Spike I'd gotten quite a bit better at cooking, so I often cooked dinner when he wasn't around. AJ told us all about her visit to Appaloosa two weeks ago to visit some family. As much as it made her sad, she told us about how she'd been pulling all of the Apple family together, as it was getting to be about that time for Granny Smith. Granny Smith was like the town grandma. It doesn't matter what age you are or where you come from...you're family and she's granny to you. A tear came to my eye as I reminisced about the last time I saw her, shortly after getting out of the hospital.

I remember I had come over to the farm to buy some apples and sat with the aged mare as I waited for Applejack to get back. It had been awhile since I'd seen Dash, and I missed her...and Granny Smith could tell. She didn't even need to ask what had me feeling down...she knew. She told me something that day that I'll never forget. She said, "It don' matter how far away she is or where ya'll go. As long as ya love each other, yer gonna be okay. As long as ya love each other, yer never alone." There was a wisdom in her words that I didn't realize until later that week when Dash came to visit...and I felt the same spark between us when she first told me she liked me. The spark of love.

Sitting at that table with my friends and family, I realized just how much I was going to miss the old mare. I found it a little odd seeing as how I had never even met her until a few months ago, but I could now understand how AJ felt. I looked up from my empty plate to see AJ crying too. She looked right at me and without speaking, walked around the table and hugged me. She nuzzled into my face and cried. "Ah'm gonna miss her Steel...Ah'm gonna miss her somethin' fierce." I nodded, rubbing her back. "I'm gonna miss her too AJ...so much. But you know what? She's lived a long and happy life, and I know she's proud of you, Apple Bloom, and Big Mac. It's going to be hard, but we'll pull through this. We all will together. I know we can...and she knows it too." Applejack looked up at me with tears in her eyes, but smiled. She hugged me tight again. "Thank ya Steel. I don' know what Ah'd do without ya." My brother snorted. "I'm here too, ya know." AJ laughed and went next to him and nuzzled his face. "Ah know Dark, Ah'd never ferget about ya." He put an arm around her and squeezed her tight, and she sighed with a smile.

We finished cleaning up the dinner dishes and went off to our respective areas. Applejack would be staying the night as she was not needed at the farm during the winter, so she had a lot of extra time. We all hugged AJ one more time and headed upstairs to get cleaned up from the day. One of the things I had installed in the new master bathroom was a stand up glass door shower that was double the size of the original, which also was a raindrop shower. I stepped into the shower and turned on the water, feeling the soft pitter patter of the drops upon my skin, relaxing any stress away. I sat down and closed my eyes, just relaxing and letting my mind clear from the sadness that gripped me. I heard the door open and heard the sound of three sets of hooves moving towards me. I didn't even open my eyes when I heard the shower door open, I just scooted a little towards the far wall. I felt two small pairs of hooves go around my neck and a large pair of wings envelop me. I opened my eyes to see Lyra, Luna, and Twilight all hugging me. I felt a little better from their warm embrace until I looked out the glass of the shower to see a pink silhouette standing by the washroom door. "Pinkie, what are you doing all the way over there? Get your rump in here before I make you." I said with a smile. She blushed and giggled before stepping into the shower with us. Luna pulled her over with a wing and Lyra and I held her close in a hug. I smiled. "Thank you girls...I feel so much better now." They all released me except for Pinkie. Without warning, she pressed her lips against mine. I just closed my eyes and kissed her back. I heard Twilight and Luna giggling. "Wow...didn't know you had it in you Pinkie." said Lyra. Pinkie broke away with a half-lidded smile. "Wow..." I chuckled. "Yeah, I have that effect. Just ask Luna and Twi." Said ponies both blushed.

We cleaned up pretty quickly and brushed our teeth. It was only about 7:00pm, but with the new observation deck I had built for Twi on the third floor, we had a place to hang out and relax. I fixed us all some mixed drinks of pineapple juice, vodka, and coconut juice. During Celestia's travels she'd become friends with a supplier in one of the islands off the coast, and being a personal friend of hers entitled me to benefits, such as getting a personal stock of some of the produce. Man I had missed the fruit of the islands. I had come to find that both Luna and Twi were lightweights when it came to any sort of alcohol, whereas somehow Pinkie could drink me under the table. Lyra just seemed to chill and enjoy the early evening, which is what I was doing. We had the observation deck set up with a telescope and a vented outdoor fireplace, as well as an oaken couch, a large bed, and a few chairs scattered about. I had installed a retractable glass curtain to shield us from any rain that may pop up, or if we just felt like sleeping out here. Needless to say, it was perfect for summer, but with the fire going it was good for winter as well. Luna thew a few logs into the fire pit and cast a spell to light them on fire. With the insulation as well as a few enchantments I'd placed on the deck, this place was as warm as if it were a balmy summer night.

Twilight passed out rather quickly, as did Luna after she raised the moon. I looked over to find Twi laying on top of Luna on the couch. Lyra was just relaxing, enjoying the crisp cool air and watching the stars. I was laying propped up on the bed, admiring the night sky as well, and Pinkie was lying in front of me. Pinkie brought her head back against her chest and looked up at me with her lovely blue eyes. I leaned down and kissed her softly and she smiled at me. "I really like you Steel." I smiled back and nuzzled her cheek, causing her to giggle and blush. "Well I like you too, Pinks." I kissed just under her left cheek on her neck and breathed a warm breath, causing her to shiver and her mane to go straight for a second. "Well, that was interesting." She blushed. "S-sorry...I got a little excited there." I just wrapped my foreleg around her and pulled her closer into me, causing her to let out a little squeak. Lyra walked over wobbling a bit and lay down behind me. I turned over on my back and wrapped my other foreleg around Lyra. I then focused on the two sleeping mares on the couch and levitated them over to us, laying them down as they were and propping Luna up with a pillow against my thigh.

Somehow in the middle of laying there with Lyra and Pinkie in my hooves, we started kissing, which graduated to a make-out session between the three of us. I still don't really know how we started, but I wasn't complaining. I was in the middle of kissing Pinkie at one point when Lyra licked my horn, and I nearly let out a loud moan. I turned to her with a confused look and she just smiled. I just shrugged and went back to the task at hand.

About an hour had passed and I was out of breath, Lyra having fallen asleep a few moments ago and Pinkie still laying in my grasp saying 'wow' every now and then. I almost laughed when I noticed that Twi and Luna were still completely out, with no response other than the occasional murmur or mumbling. I looked out at the night sky, it being well past 10:00pm now. I looked over at Luna and smiled, and then focused on a spell I had been practicing. My horn was covered in a green glow, then a blue glow added onto that, and then a purple glow. I focused hard and let the spell amplify. When I felt the spell was at its apex, I released it into the sky. The bolt of swirling colors shot forth high in the sky. When I felt it was high enough I focused again, and the bolt exploded into brilliant ribbons of shimmering color...an aurora. I focused and made contact with Dash. _'Dashie...are you awake?'_ I was worried I was waking her up, but wanted her to see this. _'Oh hi Steel. I'm in bed but I hadn't fallen asleep yet. What's up?'_ I smiled. _'I want you to go outside and look into the sky. I did something special for you girls I think you'll like.'_ I clopped my hooves together loudly and all the girls started moving around. Luna looked at me with a groggy look. "Ugh...Steel what is it? I was having a good dream about..." she trailed off as she looked at Twilight, blushing. "Umm...nevermind." I just laughed. "It's okay girls, I just wanted you to see something. Step out onto the balcony and look up." We all walked out onto the balcony and the girls looked up. All of their eyes widened in awe and Twilight's mouth dropped open. "Wh-what is that? It's so pretty." I nodded. "That's known as an aurora, girls. It's a naturally occurring anomaly that usually only happens on Earth at extreme northern or southern latitudes. The one you're looking at now is of magical nature...I made it, for all of you." I heard Dash gasp in my head. _'Wow, you _made _that...for us? Steel...I don't know what to say. It's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen.'_ I chuckled. _'It's not as beautiful as you girls, Dash. I miss you a lot...I hope you come home soon.' _I felt her blush. _'I'm going to be there tomorrow Steel...then you can show me how much you've missed me.'_ I smiled. _'It's a promise. Go to bed now Dashie, I love you.'_ _'I love you too Steel, goodnight.'_ Luna stepped to me and kissed me on the cheek. "Steel, this is wonderful. Thank you for showing me this." I grinned. "Well if you like that, you're really going to like this." I focused on the magical aura in the aurora, and willed it to change shape. It split into five separate balls of colors, all in a circle. The girls watched in awe as each one changed into a shape they were each familiar with. They all turned and stared at me, Twilight stepping right in front of me. "Those are our cutie marks...how did you-" I cut her off. "I'm not done yet, Twi." I focused again, and the residual color that was left over became the outline of a massive shield, with two swords behind it...a coat of arms, with each of my girls' cutie marks on it. They all just stared at the enormous color spectacle before them. Luna turned to me. "That is us...you have placed all of us in my night sky." I nodded and chuckled. I then focused again and dissipated the shapes, turning it all into the lovely ribbons of color again. "I can only imagine what the ponies who are awake right now might be thinking." I then closed the glass curtain and lay down on the bed, beckoning the mares over. They all lay around me, Twilight with Luna again and Lyra and Pinkie in my forelegs. I wrapped my wings around the two in my grasp and closed my eyes. What seemed like only a moment later I heard a voice. "Steel? Are you still awake?" I looked over to see Lyra looking at me with those lovely gold eyes. "What is it, love?" She looked down as if in shame before looking up at me again. "Thank you for loving us...for loving me. It means a lot...I just wanted you to know that." I sighed and kissed her forehead. "Well thank you for loving me back. Get some sleep, beautiful." Lyra then closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, and a few moments later, I did as well.


	14. Ch 13: The Icy Claws of Fear

**A/N: Steelbreaker and Drew here with another chapter of the story that is tasty and full of flavor. There's some big changes in this chapter, and this one also gets a little dark. Can't have a good story without some conflict, now can we? R&R and let me know what you thought.**

**To dch448 - Well I thought about adding some lemons in here, but I decided I didn't really want that kind of story. **

**To Raine Moon - It's good to have a writer who knows what they're talking about reviewing this story. Thanks for that. I do realize your concerns as I see and feel them as well. I know by experience how easy it is to suddenly find myself backed into a corner - by myself - with nothing left to write. As far as the Gary Stu concept, you have great timing for that. I plan my chapters ahead of time, and this was the one where I would be leading the story away from that, so as to keep things interesting and realistic in a sense. You aren't the first person to bring it up. I don't usually go for self-inserts either, but I have yet to actually do one as well. If it works, it works. If it doesn't, I can say I gave it a try. I appreciate the honest criticism, as it reminds me of the boundaries I have set for myself, as well as why I shouldn't cross them.**

**To Guest - Why thank you, I am glad you enjoy. Plenty more to come, so be sure to check back frequently.**

**To Zuelatak - **_**No promises if she comes onto me. A stallion can only have so much self-control. Besides...her cuteness is over 9000!**_

**High-ho Silver, AWAY!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters associated with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, nor the original story.**

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Chapter 13: The Icy Claws of Fear

_Alone...so alone. _

_They all left, I don't know where._

_Useless..._

_Meaningless..._

_No...no more...please..._

_**Ah...this is most interesting. Your fear will soon consume you, as you will see. There is naught to fear, but the fear itself...is there? You will find out more than you wish to.**_

I awoke with a start, panting heavily and with tears streaming down my face. I checked to my left and to my right, and was very relieved to see the beautiful mares I loved. I kissed each on the forehead softly, and proceeded to get up. I opened the glass curtain that shielded the room from the beginning of what was to be a blizzard and peered outside. The crisp air kissed my cheeks and I found myself still worried. That was by far the worst nightmare I've ever had, and more so now because I had more loved ones. I was confused, as I had never had a nightmare with any of my girls sleeping next to me, but brushed it off. I heard shuffling in the sheets as one of them started to wake up, and then a scream. I turned to see four very frightened mares all staring at each other, and then they all looked to me. Luna's gaze turned to one of anger, which only made me more confused. "What hast thou done to us? If thou has violated us, thou shall spend the rest of thy days in the dungeons!" I was suddenly taken aback. "L-Luna? What's going on with you? You act like you've never seen me before or som-" She cut me off. "Thou shalt address us as _Princess_ Luna, knave!" I was now frightened. Something was very wrong, and my confusion turned to sadness, and then to anger...and then to sadness again. What happened? I felt a presence within me...Celestia. _'Steelbreaker! I require you at the palace immediately...something has happened!'_ I shook my head and immediately teleported to the throne room, leaving four very bewildered mares behind.

I arrived in the throne room to see a very sad look on the solar princess's face. "Steel...I am so sorry...I could't stop it." She started to cry. I walked up to her and embraced her in a hug, me crying by this time too. "Tia...what happened? They don't...they act like they don't even know me anymore. What's going on?" She only shook her head and cried harder. "...Phobos has awakened in our world." I was confused. "Wait...Phobos...I've heard that word before. Wait a minute, that's one of Mars' moons in my universe. Mars is a planet, by the way. But what do you mean Phobos has awakened?" Celestia shook her head. "Phobos is a god of fear. In your world, he is a god of your Greeks. While the mythology in your world is flawed at best, he does truly exist. I don't know why he has chosen to come to this world, but he is here...there is no mistaking it. He seems to be targeting you." I was awestruck. A god is after me? This isn't good. "Why would he be after me though? What would be the point? I'm nobody." Celestia shook her head. "Do you recall what I told you when you first awakened as a spellbender? You have the potential to be far more powerful than I could ever hope to be. Assuming Phobos is here to claim this planet as his own, he will want to destroy the greatest threat to him first...you." This only made me more confused. "Okay, but what does that have to do with Luna? Or any of the other girls?" She only frowned and let slip tears from her eyes. "He is the god of fear, Steelbreaker. What is your greatest fear?" I thought for only a moment before it struck me like a bolt of lightning...loneliness. My greatest fear was being alone...being worthless. My entire reason for being was protecting my loved ones, and that need to protect stemmed from my love for them, as well as their love for me. "So...you mean..." She nodded. "To all of them, it is as if you've never existed. It is safe to assume he has targeted anyone you care about...even your own family." Wait a minute... "What about you, Celestia? I care about you and you care about me. You're like family to me, why aren't you affected?" She smiled sadly. "I do not know for sure, but I believe it is because of my memories of you. In all of my memories of you, my sister is there as well. The love I have for my sister goes beyond what most beings could imagine, save for one such as you. Because you are connected to her in my mind, those memories are much stronger, and thus much more difficult to break...if not impossible. I cannot say for sure, however."

We were interrupted by a flash of light behind me. I turned to see a very upset Luna staring at Celestia. She then looked at me, and a flash of confusion contorted her face. "Sister, what is this criminal doing here? Hast thou any idea what has just happened?" I winced at the anger in her voice. Celestia looked at me and nodded, and I nodded back. "I'll be in the Everfree ruins, Celestia." I then looked at Luna, and felt an immense feeling of loss and sadness wash over me. I let slip a tear, and disappeared in a flash of brilliant light.

I opened my eyes to find myself in front of what remained of the Palace of the Two Sisters. I walked inside the main building and sat down on the cold stone floor. I was numb with sadness. I felt so broken, I couldn't even cry. I didn't even want to believe it. This couldn't be happening...this must still be a bad dream.

I sat on the cold floor for what felt like hours, until I heard hooves approaching. Normally I would have hidden to be cautious, but at this point I didn't have the will. I just lay down and let out a sad sigh. I looked up slightly to see Luna approaching, a very confused expression still on her face, but also very embarrassed. She sat on her haunches but didn't speak. For some reason I suddenly became very angry, and I turned away from her. She growled. "You will not turn your back on the princess of the night! I demand you face us this instant!" I snorted and growled right back, anger building in my heart. "I have no fear of you, Luna. I'm not afraid of you, or anyone else. Don't think you can bully me into doing what you want. Until you're ready to address me properly and without all this hostility, you can leave..._now_." I heard her gasp in surprise. "N-nopony has ever spoken to us in such a way. Why wouldst you speak to your princess in this way?" My anger subsided and I turned around to face her, a sad frown on my face. "I've never had to speak to you that way before, because the Luna I know - the Luna I _loved - _would never treat a pony as a commoner. The Luna _I _knew hated to be treated like royalty because it's hard to make friends when everyone's so formal. Do you treat Twilight Sparkle this way?" Her confusion then turned to shock. "H-how dost thou know of Twilight Sparkle?" I sighed sadly. "I know much more than that. I know nearly everything there is to know about you, princess. For example, I know that you only speak in your old way of speech to strangers. I also know that until you made friends with Twilight Sparkle, you cried yourself to sleep every night. I now know how you felt during your exile to the moon." At my last statement, she instantly turned indignant. "Do not presume to know how we felt during exile. Thou hast no idea what we felt." I smiled sadly. "I think I do...and I'll prove it to you." I focused on the emotions I had been feeling since this all started - the intense feelings of loss, sadness, and loneliness. I then felt them well up within me and I allowed them to flow out from my heart towards her. I opened my eyes at the sound of her sobbing. "We...we had no idea. Why? Why dost thou feel this way?" I lowered my head with a huff of pained breath. "I woke up this morning to find that everyone I've ever cared about has forgotten everything about me. To you and the rest of my loved ones, I am a stranger. What hurts the most is that I feel there is no way to correct this. Luna, I am not of this world...I am from elsewhere. To you our most important and first meeting - the time when you decided to bring me here - never happened. Yes...it was _you _who brought me here, but to you that meeting never was. I have nothing else in my life now. My life...is hollow. So please, leave me...I can't look at you any longer. I feel like the pain of loss alone may kill me. I kind of hope it does now." For the first time, her tone softened. "We...I am sorry. I did not know. I sense that you are telling the truth, however unbelievable it may be. Perhaps you could tell me of...us?" I shook my head. "There would be no point, princess. Even if I were to share with you all the memories I have of us, they are still _my _memories. Love can't come about from a feeling that is not our own. This incident was my greatest fear...and it is a fear now realized." She smiled softly. "Surely it is not as bad as you make it out to be." I grit my teeth and stood, advancing with sudden anger towards her. She backed away in fear. "Not that bad? NOT THAT BAD? Imagine if everything you were, everything you cared about was stripped away from you with no way to get it back. Imagine if you no longer could control the moon and the night, and Celestia died before your very eyes...and it was your fault. Imagine that for a moment and you'll have an idea of just how _bad _it is. I _wish_ I had been banished to the moon instead of this. At least on the moon there is no one to keep you company, so the loneliness is warranted. No...instead I have to be around my loved ones knowing that they don't have any idea who I am, and that I will _never _get what I had back. So I'll take your words and use them...don't presume to know how I feel." She hesitated before stepping closer. I stopped her. "No Luna...just go. Please just leave. I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but you being here is just making it worse. Just go back to your sister and tell her I sent you away." She stomped a hoof. "No, I would not leave a loved one if they needed me." I chuckled painfully. "You're my loved one...I am not yours. Please go." She shook her head. I glared at her. "Go or I'll _make _you leave." She laughed. "You believe you can force me to leave?" I grit my teeth. "I can and I will. I'll say it again...go, before I make you leave." She shook her head. I focused on the throne room of Canterlot and teleported her. I immediately put up magic barrier around the ruins.

For the first time ever...I just wanted to be alone.

**Perspective change - Luna**

I found myself standing in front of my sister once again. She showed a confused look on her face. "What happened, Luna?" I shook my head. "I am not sure sister. I only wanted to speak to him and apologize. Somehow the conversation escalated and he became very angry. He sent me away and I cannot seem to teleport back. It is as if something is preventing me from doing so." My sister stepped off of her throne and looked out into the distance, her eyes widening. She pointed towards the forest many miles in the distance. "Luna, what is _that_?" I gazed out the window towards where she was pointing. I was shocked to see a massive ball of what looked like magic rising high above the forest. It stopped some thousands of feet above the treetops and floated in the air. "I...I do not know, Tia. Gather the guards, we need to find out what it is." She nodded and shouted to summon the guards to the throne room.

An hour later we approached the object above the forest. A crowd of ponies had gathered, curious as to what it was. It was as I feared...it was our old palace of days long since past. It was as if the very ground beneath it had been torn up and raised into the sky. Who could possess such power? "Sister, what is that?" She shook her head at me with a sad look. "I never thought this would affect him this much." I was confused. "Him? What are you speaking of sis-" I stopped my statement as I felt a very familiar feeling in the air...one I was intimately familiar with. "Sister, I feel the power of Nightmare Moon...this is not possible!" She shook her head. "That is not Nightmare Moon...it is another known as Frostrender. He is a being that resides within the alicorn...the one known as Steelbreaker." Steelbreaker...why does that name sound so familiar? "Sister...we must get inside." She shook her head. "Not yet. I have an idea, but we need help. You must find and gather the Elements of Harmony. Find the bearers and bring them here. Hurry Luna!" I nodded and sped off to find the bearers.

Thankfully it had not taken long to find all of them, as five of them were in the crowd below us, and the last was in her cloud home, sleeping. I had gathered all of the Elements and called my sister. "Okay Tia, what now?" She nodded. "We must get inside. The barrier on the outside can be punctured, but I will need your help, Luna. It will not be long before the barrier closes again, so we must get everypony inside before that happens." Twilight stepped forward. "Celestia, I still don't know what we're doing here...what's going on?" She shook her head at the young lavender unicorn. "I cannot explain it myself, I am sorry. The being inside can shed more light on it than I can." She turned back to me. "Luna on the count of three, I need your most powerful dispel spell that you can muster." I nodded. "One...two..." I readied the spell in my horn, putting as much as my being into it as possible. "Three!" I released the spell, firing it directly at the large bubble of magic above us. Our two spells collided with the bubble, tearing a large gaping hole in it. The breach however began to repair itself very quickly. I focused on all the Elements and teleported us inside.

When I opened my eyes again, I saw the Elements of Harmony and Celestia all standing next to me in what used to be the main hall. Celestia looked around. "Frostrender, where are you?" The sound of hooves could be heard down the corridor. I was shocked to see a massive blue armored alicorn standing at the end of the hallway. It towered over both myself and Celestia, and I felt intense magic radiating from it. Even with how imposing the figure was, it had a kind smile on its face. "Celestia, I apologize we must meet again under such circumstances." My jaw dropped and I looked at my sister. "Tia...you know this pony?" She nodded. "We both do, sister...well, both _did_." She turned her attention back to the blue pony. "Frostrender, what has happened to Steelbreaker?" The one known as Frostrender bowed his head in what appeared to be sadness. "I am sorry Celestia...I tried to appeal to him. He has lost the will to live. He has withdrawn so far within himself that I am all that is left." Celestia gasped in shock. "My word...I was unaware just how much this would affect him. What of these ruins? Why have you raised it into the sky? It is causing quite the commotion within the town." Frostrender shook his head. "It is not I, princess...it was Steelbreaker. He placed enchantments that hold the levitation spell as well as the barrier spell. I have not been able to break them." Celestia nodded and her horn began to glow with a golden light. She let the spell free, only to have it arc back to her horn, flinging her body against a wall. "Celestia!" I ran to her side. She groaned but stood up. "I am alright, Luna." She then turned back to Frostrender. "Frostrender, we must use the Elements of Harmony...I am sorry, but I do not know how you will be affected." The alicorn bowed his head. "I understand, princess. Do as you will. I pray you save Steelbreaker from himself." I turned to Twilight and her friends. "Ready your Elements. Prepare to fire at Frostrender." They all nodded their heads and began to glow softly. Each Element seemed to appear out of nowhere, fastening itself to its respective bearer. Celestia and I stepped out of the way. _'I love you Luna. Never forget to smile...it's what made me fall in love with you in the first place.'_ said a loving voice in my head. I suddenly found myself unbelievably saddened, and something clicked in my head. I felt myself remembering something...something I once knew. Without thinking I jumped into the path of the Elements power. There was a bright flash and a feeling of warmth, and then...nothing.

**Perspective change - ** **Celestia**

"LUNA!" She had jumped into the path of the Elements' magic. Why? What possessed her do that? She smiled for a moment before collapsing on the floor. I ran over to Luna's unconscious body. She was still breathing...oh thank the gods. I suddenly felt an intense warmth from behind me, and the room lit up with a flash. I turned around to see the pained expression of Steelbreaker. He did not speak, he just slowly walked over to Luna and sat on his haunches. He let a tear slide down his cheek before speaking. "Why...why would she do that? What in the name of all that is holy would make her do such a thing?" I placed a hoof on his shoulder. "Steelbreaker, she's alive. She'll be okay. The Elements are meant to restore order. Killing or harming is not something they are capable of." He nodded but still looked confused. "I...I still don't understand though. What made her do that? Why?"

**Perspective change - Steelbreaker**

"...What made her do that? Why?" I was so confused. Even if she knew she wouldn't be hurt by the blast, what would make her protect me? What would be the point? I closed my eyes and grit my teeth in a frustrated confusion. I suddenly felt a soft hoof caress my cheek, and opened my eyes to see it was dark blue. I looked down and saw Luna smiling at me. "Please smile...I do not like to see you upset, Drew." It took me a moment to register what she had just said. "D-did you just call me..." She nodded. The heartfelt reunion was broken short as a multi-hued stream of color shot out from her chest into the sky. I stuck my head out a window and saw it form into a ball growing larger and larger. The ball of energy grew to be as large as the sun in the sky, and then burst in a brilliant flash of light. I opened my eyes and looked around. I saw all of the Elements unconscious on the ground. I was about to panic before I saw them breathing, to which I sighed with relief. I quickly remembered what was going on and dispelled the barrier spells from around the ruins. Celestia looked at me with a smile. "I think you should get home, Steelbreaker. Take the Elements with you." I looked at her confused. "Celestia...I don't really have a home anymore." She waved a hoof at me in dismissal. "Do as I say please. Trust me." I nodded slowly and looked at Luna. She just smiled. "I will be by later, Steel. I promise." I smiled back and teleported myself and all the girls to the library.

It hadn't even been a day, but it felt great to be back home. I levitated all the girls upstairs to Twilight's room and lay them in bed, and I walked downstairs to the kitchen. I grabbed a bottle of hard cider out of the fridge and sat down in the reading room, lighting a fire. "Man, what a hell of a day." I said to myself while taking a swig of the sweet alcohol. I heard a groan from the basement and looked to see my brother ascending the stairs. "Ugh...what the hell happened, man? I had one fucked up dream." I was about to tell him when I froze...realization hitting me. "You...you know who I am?" He shook his head at me with a smirk. "Don't act like a dumbass Drew, it doesn't suit you." I jumped off the couch and hugged him as hard as I could. He just stood there, confused. I laughed. "Yes homo...lots of homo." He chuckled.

I spent the next twenty or so minutes explaining what had happened, and he just sat there listening for awhile before saying anything. "Wow dude...that's intense. I bet you probably flipped shit." I nodded. "Yeah...little bit." We just sat there for awhile enjoying the warm fire. I heard the sound of hooves on the floors above me, then more hooves...then lots of hooves. I smiled and stood up, my brother following me to the stairs. Pinkie and Twilight stood at the top of the stairs with the other girls, just staring at me. Twilight ran down the stairs while Pinkie dove off of them over the railing, tackling me to the ground. She started crying hard. "Steelie...I had such a bad dream. You were so sad..." I kissed her forehead and held her tight. "It wasn't a dream Pinkie...but everything's alright now." She looked up at me with a smile and stepped off of me. I stood up just to get tackled again by Twilight. I just started laughing and stroked her mane. "It's okay Twi. It's over." I could feel tears soaking my chest, but she nodded. Dash just stepped over me and Twi...and smiled. She leaned down and nuzzled my cheek. "I'm glad you're okay Steel. I know you'll always pull through somehow." I nodded and pulled her down in a hug.

The next hour was spent talking about what had happened. Apparently my relationships weren't the only ones affected...anyone connected to me was affected too. My brother and Applejack didn't know each other, and Spike didn't know my brother. I heard from Applejack that Big Mac had been very surprised to see a strange mare in his house when he saw my mother, which I laughed at. The CMC had it the easiest...they just made friends with my sister all over again.

There was a knock on the door before it opened, revealing Luna and Lyra covered in snow. Dash frowned. "Uh oh, looks like the blizzard started." I nodded and looked at the group. "Anypony need to get home?" Fluttershy and Applejack nodded, and I teleported them both home. Luna came and sat next to me on the large couch, and Lyra sat on my lap, nuzzling my chest. _'Still so cute...' _

Thoroughly exhausted by the entire day, I found myself dozing off while the others talked. After a few minutes of drifting in and out of consciousness, I finally fell off into blissful sleep.

**Perspective change - Celestia**

I found myself again in my personal study frantically going through the different papers and books that were loaded on a large desk. _'There must be something different...something I've missed. Why are the wards failing now?'_ I searched through everything ranging from spells and charms to physical laws. It just didn't add up...I must be missing something. It was then that I saw a small book from my younger years. A book titled "Magical Law". It was a textbook of sorts given to young unicorns teaching them about the universal laws of magic, and how it affects the world. I started reading the paragraph a couple pages in about the source of a pony's magic. "A unicorn's magic comes from within. It is drawn from the life force of the unicorn itself. Because of this a unicorn must take care to not over exert oneself." I remenisced about my younger years of reading this for the first time and continued reading. "An alicorn is a different prospect altogether. An alicorn's power is drawn from the latent magic within the environment, and from Terra herself." I facehooved...that's it! Every time Steelbreaker would use magic, he drew it from anything magical around him, from the air to even the spells of other unicorns. Or in this case, from the magical wards that protect our planet. I made contact with Steelbreaker...this was important. _'Steelbreaker, I need to see you in the throne room right now.'_ I heard him groan in annoyance. _'Ugh...Celestia, isn't one crisis a day enough? I think we've hit quota for awhile.'_ I rolled my eyes. _'Just get up here please, it's very important.'_

I walked into the throne room to find a very groggy Steelbreaker staring at me. He glared at me and I giggled. "This better be important, Celestia. I was having a good dream." My demeanor became serious. "It is important, Steelbreaker. Very much so...as in 'safety-of-our-world' important." He raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Okay, I'm listening. Please continue." I smiled. "Well Steel, you may not know this, but we have magical wards protecting our planet from potential invaders. These wards are powered from the magic of the planet itself. What you don't know is that these barriers have been weakening...and I think I have found the cause. I pray that you do not take this the wrong way, but the cause...is you." He seemed taken aback suddenly...not surprising. "I'm not sure what you mean, Celly. Are you saying that I'm a threat to this world?" I shook my head. "Not directly no...but your magic use is. You see whenever you use magic of any kind, you draw energy from the planet itself. This is why you never feel fatigued no matter how powerful the spell you use. Your magic use has been draining the planet's energy, which in turn weakens the wards. It was fine with just myself and Luna, but the addition of another alicorn has put undue strain on the planet's magic." He suddenly looked very ashamed. "I had no idea. You're going to have to send me back to Earth, aren't you?" I giggled and shook my head. "No Steel, I'm not going to send you back to Earth. What I do need to do however is sever your connection with Terra. This way your body will adjust to build up and use its own magical reserves. Things are going to be very different for you from now on. Most of the spells you were able to cast so easily before will leave you feeling exhausted. I do urge you to be careful. The more you practice with your spells however, the more attuned you will become to your own magic. This in turn will increase your natural magic reserves. It pains me to say that you will likely be outclassed by Luna and myself as far as magic prowess goes, but something tells me that won't bother you too much." He nodded. "Well being the most powerful made me a big threat which made Phobos target me. That's not something I ever want to experience again. Besides, I'll still have my girls. They definitely didn't fall for me because of my magic."

I focused my spell on the aura around him. I could feel his connection with Terra now that I was looking for it, and in a deft motion, I severed the connection. He instantly collapsed to the ground, nearly blacking out. "Wow. I feel so...flimsy now." I stepped next to him, helping him up. "Yes, you are going to feel that way for a few hours while your body adjusts to using your own magic. There is one other thing I need to mention Steel...and it is very important. The Element of the Guardian draws upon the bearer's magic to sustain it. This will be a problem for you now, as the amount of magic it has access to has vastly decreased. Using your Element will leave you feeling weakened. Use if for too long...and it could kill you. Be careful, Steel...please." He nodded weakly. "I'll only use it if I absolutely need to, I promise." I nodded. "Good. Now you should get home, everypony is probably wondering where you went. You're still recuperating, so I'll send you back. Don't forget to practice with your spells to get stronger." I focused on his destination and sent him on his way. Confident that things would be okay now, I slowly walked off to my bedchambers for some much-deserved rest.

**Perspective change - Steelbreaker**

I found myself back in the library, everyone having gone to bed or something. I felt very tired, so I just grabbed another bottle of hard cider from the fridge sat down in the reading room. While nursing my drink, I began to think of what Celestia had said. It actually scared me a little bit to know that using magic too much could now hurt me. I realized just how much I had taken it for granted. In all honesty, it did bother me a little that I wasn't going to be so badass anymore, but I would rather the planet continue to exist more than I want to be the ultimate magic user. I quickly gulped the last of the cider in my bottle and got up to throw the bottle away, nearly tripping as I dragged my hooves across the floor. I strangely didn't feel like going anywhere right now, so I just sat near the window watching the storm outside rage. Things were going to get pretty intense tonight, but luckily things would stay pretty warm in the building. I lay down on the sofa in the main room and fell asleep.

I was awakened a few minutes later by Dash. She was right in my face saying my name to wake me up. I rubbed my eyes and yawned. "Hi Dashie. What's up?" She nodded towards upstairs. "You coming to bed?" I nodded. "Yeah. Lead the way." While walking up the two flights of stairs I yet again realized just how much I had been depending on magic. I usually would have just teleported to he third floor, but right now I was too afraid to. I didn't want to end up in another coma or something.

When we got to the bedroom, Twilight and Luna had already fallen asleep next to each other, Luna cradling Twi in her hooves. _'Dawww...'_ I scooted next to them and lay in the obnoxiously large round bed. Pinkie lay down on my chest while Lyra and Dash got on either side of me. I smiled at the situation.

Maybe things weren't so different after all.


	15. Character Interview 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters associated with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, nor the original story.**

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Character Interview 1

Steel: Hey everyone, Steelbreaker here with the first character interview! You sent your questions, and we're going to answer them! For this first one since it was such short notice, we've only got one reviewer who sent questions, but there are a few. As promised, my friends and I will answer them. After today any new questions will go towards the next interview, which will be held July 21st, 2012 and will feature Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy.

That being said, let us continue with the few questions we have from _Guest zsd_.

First question I assume was directed at me.

Question reads(with corrected spelling/grammar): "How many marefriends can you have?"

Well bud, there isn't any real limit, although as you can imagine the more a stallion takes, the more complicated and hectic things can get. Have to factor in things such as the amount of attention and time to devote to each mare. The more marefriends, the more that time and attention has to be stretched. As stated in a previous response to a review, the most in history was twenty.

Second question is to Rainbow Dash, so Dash, you're up.

_Dash: Okay let's see here: "What is the average cost to buy something like your home, Rainbow Dash?"_

_Hmm...well that's a tough one. We pegusi don't usually buy houses that are pre-owned. I mean it's not unheard of, but still. Gotta understand, most of us build our own houses. I personally didn't pay anything for mine, but it took a lot of time and work to make it really cool. The only thing I actually have to pay on my house is property taxes, which isn't very much at all for a house in the sky over Ponyville. I guess if I were going to sell it, I might let it go for about 2,000 bits. That's pretty normal for one of the houses in Ponyville._

Steel: Alright then, thanks Dashie. Next up is a question for Twilight Sparkle, so here ya go, Twi.

_Twilight: Alright now: "What are the average bits you get paid that will be considered good, Twi?"_

_Well, that all depends on how you live I guess. There are a lot less expenses in Ponyville than say, someplace on Earth, at least that's what Steel tells me. I just pay a business property taxes on the library which is only about 7 bits per month. Then you have to take food into account, which varies quite a bit. Applejack for example sells a dozen apples for 2 bits, but some of the really tasty mushrooms at the market can go for around 8 bits a pound. I guess if you were to look at an average pony with a house payment, food, and taxes, 50 bits per month would allow a pony to live on their own just fine, and coincidentally is a pretty regular wage around here._

Steel: Thanks Twi for that explanation, it was...enlightening. Next question is yours as well, take it away.

_Twilight: Okay: "How does a wedding go when you're marrying three mares?"_

_Well usually we try to split up the weddings so that each bride has her own special day. Gets a little expensive sometimes, but it's worth it. That's not to say that a stallion marrying multiple mares at one wedding hasn't happened. I guess a marriage between a stallion and three mares goes just like any other wedding, except usually with three times the flower girls, three times the bridesmares, and three times the crying._

Steel: Interesting. Maybe sometime in the future that information will come in handy.

_Luna: R-really?_

Steel: I'm starting to think so. Anyhow Luna, the next question is yours.

_Luna: Very well, hmm: "Luna, could you make a new part of the day and give it to Steel? Like a solar eclipse, because we haven't seen that in one of your days."_

_Well, Steel has expressed his wish to remain just a regular pony in the public eye. I had thought of an idea similar to that actually, but he turned it down, saying that as long as he had us he didn't need anything special...Darkflight then stated how "corny" that was. As far as a solar eclipse, we hold that on Tia's day of birth, actually...whereas a lunar eclipse will be held on my day of birth. My day of birth was different a thousand years ago, as Equestria possessed a different calendar. Today, the date for my birth date is December 13th. Tia's is January 19th._

Steel: Well that's awesome...now I don't have to feel awkward asking when your birthday is, Lulu.

_Luna: Do not call me that in public Steel...it's embarrassing!_

Steel: Aww Lulu, but you're so cute when you blush! See? Right now I could just eat you up, you're so cute.

_Luna: W-well fine...I will let it go this once, but you owe me Steel._

Steel: I'm sure I'll think of something to make it up to you. Anyhow I guess I've got the next question.

"Steel, what are you going to get your marefriends for their birthdays?"

Well now, I can't rightly answer that with my girls here, so girls? Please leave the room.

...

Okay Spike, are they gone? Okay let me soundproof the room.

...

There we go.

Okay now, Drew already put in a chapter what I'm getting Dashie. It's going to be a dark blue flight suit with rainbows running down the legs instead of normal stripes, and a rainbow going down the back as well. There's also going to be her cuite mark embroidered on the chest, so that ponies can admire her without looking like they're checking out her flanks, even though I know they will anyway. Lastly, there's going to be "Rainbow Dash" written in awesome lettering on either side of the back rainbow. I also got her a VIP season pass to the Wonderbolts' shows for next season, thanks to some help from Celestia.

For Twilight, I'm getting her the complete works of Starswirl the Bearded. These books were a _pain in the ass_ to find...supposedly there's only like six sets in the entire world. Luckily with some help from Celly, I've got them and she's going to love them. They include things in them from spells, to magical "workouts", to Starswirl's own philosophies. I showed them to Spike and he told me to wear some armor to keep her from squeezing the life out of me with a hug. I also made her a vacuum chest to store them in. When anything is placed in the chest, all of the air is sucked out with an enchantment of my own design. This will make it so that any books she really loves will literally last forever if she takes good care of them. Weird for someone like me, but for a bookworm like her, it's perfect.

For Luna, I had to really think about it hard. She might act young, but she has centuries of life behind her, so I had to make sure I got her something really special. I couldn't think of any one thing, so I got her a couple things. First of all, I got her and I matching necklaces with our cutie marks on them - hers on mine, and mine on hers. I also enchanted them so that whenever we're close to each other, they glow with our respective magical auras. A little cheesy for my tastes usually to be honest, but I know she'll love them. Secondly, I made her a scrying gem. It took a long time to make it, but with it she'll always be able to see where I am. Not only does she miss me when she has to go away over the weekends, but she worries about me too, with me being impulsive and all sometimes. So not only will the gift offer comfort to her, but practical use as well, should anything happen to me.

For Pinkie, I got her a case of the hottest hot sauce I've ever tasted, called Joe's Madd Dog hot sauce. I got a favor from Celestia and she helped me go back to Earth to pick it up. It's made from the ghost chili pepper, and this stuff is so hot that if you're using it in cooking, you can't even walk in the same room as the stuff without coughing while your eyes water and your nose runs. I swear this must be the stuff they make tear gas out of. You can't even take a toothpick-sized taste without your mouth feeling like you just gargled with lit napalm. I also brought back a recipe book with over three-thousand pages of every sweet thing you could think of. Not that I think she needs new ideas, but I know she'll love it.

Lastly for Lyra, I bought and made her an enchanted lyre. The instrument changes form and sound depending on what emotion she's trying to convey when she plays it, and the strings will never rust or warp. I also got her an enchanted album that can take her memories and turn them into pictures. She'll hate me for saying this, but she's a bit of a picture whore...you should see her room.

Okay Spike, bring the girls back in.

...

Okay and we're all back. Thanks for being patient, Dash. I know how hard it was for you.

_Dash: *sticks out tongue*_

Steel: Alrighty then, next one's yours Luna. Oh...you're gonna blush on this one, I just know it.

_Luna: I am not sure what you mean Steel: "Luna what will it be like to raise Steel's kids if the relationship goes further for all of you?"_

_I am unfamiliar with the term "kids"._

Steel: It means children, Luna...as in foals...as in _our _children.

_Luna: Oh my...I will be honest, I was not expecting that. Well I first want to stress that we are not thinking of such things at the moment. I would be telling a lie if I say it did not cross my mind from time to time, but I know I am not ready for that just yet, and I am sure Steel will agree. Tia has noticed my change in demeanor over the past year or so since making friends with Twilight and her friends, and often when seeing me with the children of the town she will remark on what a great mother I will make one day. I feel confident that if and when the day comes, I will be ready. I do wish for foals of my own one day, just not now._

Steel: Okay then, that's all for this first interview. Thanks a lot for your answers girls, the readers appreciate it I'm sure. _Guest zsd_, thanks for your questions, we enjoyed answering them. Anyhow the next interview will be held July 21st, 2012 and will feature Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy. Any questions you have I ask to please be sent to my PM inbox. Anyhow peace to all the readers and goodnight.


	16. Ch 14: The Party

**A/N: Steelbreaker and Drew here with another chapter! Sorry it's been a few days, things have been a bit hectic with home life for us both, but luckily we are still here and the chapter is coming at ya! Hope you enjoy. As always, R&R at let us know what you think.**

**To Ausarheart - You want moar, and so it shall be. **_**Lol...willy...**_

**To zsd - Well to be honest there was another story before mine that has done a character interview, although it's in a different section of this website, not MLP. I don't know if there's one here, but I did one anyway because I can. As far as your praise on the story, I appreciate it. Seems this story is becoming very popular very fast among the community - readers, bronies, and pegasisters alike. Even my only "bad" review so far was really just a fellow competent writer simply voicing concerns, which if he/she is reading this, thank you again. I'll keep the story going for a long time to come.**

**Since this story is becoming much more popular than I thought it would be, I would like to extend a hand for help. I know most of you that read through my story see a few grammar/spelling errors here and there, but because you know what I was trying to say, you just pass it off. I want a polished look to this story, so if you happen across any of these mistakes, please PM me with the chapter and an excerpt of the story where it happens. Sorry...OCD senses are tingling.**

**And so it continues...**

**Songs mentioned: "Everything's Not Lost" by Coldplay on the album **_**Parachutes**_**. If you like Coldplay and want a great chill song, I recommend listening to it. Second song is "Feeling Good" done by Michael Bublé on the album **_**It's Time**_**. Third song is "Panama" by Van Halen on the album **_**1984**_**.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters associated with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, nor the original story.**

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Chapter 14: The Party

It had been a week since my little breakdown during Phobos' attack on me, and things were settling back to normal. Celestia had told me that it was likely the diety would return, though not for some time to come. I was afraid at first, remembering how distraught I was from just his first attack...but resolved to be prepared this time. I began training my mind and emotions to resist the impact that fear would have on me, in an attempt to keep my sanity next time.

Anyhow, it was the day of Dashie's birthday and we were all preparing for a massive party at the library. Vinyl would be doing the music(which I was pleased with) and Pinkie of course, would be arranging the whole thing. My job that day was to keep Dash occupied for the day, so I took her out flying. Who knew that something so simple could make her happy? I should have thought of this days ago. The cold air bit at my face, but a pair of goggles that Dash had let me borrow made it bearable. We spent nearly the whole day flying, and I got to find out just how much endurance for flying she has. We flew for hours before I had to stop, and she just lay on the cloud next to me, laughing.

"C'mon Steel, you're out of shape! You need to keep pushing, you got this!" she giggled.

I shook my head, breathing hard. "I never was _in_ shape Dash, at least not as much as you. The only way I pulled off my Brightflash Wave was with magic. Being as I am now, I'm not even sure if I can cast the spell anymore, so you're back to being first again."

"I was always first, Steel. After all, I don't need magic to be awesome. This kind of coolness comes naturally." she smirked.

I shoved her off the cloud and lightly hopped on it, dropping a torrent of snow out of it. I looked off of the cloud to see a rainbow tail sticking out of a pile of snow. I chuckled and flew down to find a shivering Rainbow Dash within the pile.

"So Dash, how cool do you feel now?" I said in between laughs.

She snorted in annoyance. "Just s-shut up and d-d-dig me out, Steel."

We continued flying, but at a more leisurely pace, just talking about random things. I looked up at the sun to find it was just starting to descend from the sky, meaning it was somewhere around 1 or 2pm, so we headed back to the library. I had told Pinkie a new way to surprise Dash, as no doubt she would be expecting it as soon as we walked in. Instead, everyone stayed hidden until Dash sat down on the couch and I went to get her a glass of water. I handed the water to her and she took a big gulp, Pinkie deciding this was the perfect moment for everyone to jump out and yell "surprise". Pinkie decided to jump right in front of Dash when they all said it, and she got drenched when Dash spit out her water all over her in surprise. I laughed loudly, and Dash joined in. Pinkie just wiped her now straight and wet hair out of her face before embracing Dash in a big hug, me following suit. Dash sat there and blushed a bit before pushing us away.

"Alright already guys, let's stop with the mushiness for now and PARTY!" she yelled.

Applejack had been kind enough to supply us with a keg of her fermented hard cider, so each of us had a few drinks. I noticed that most all of our friends were there, including Lyra, Luna, and even Celly made an appearance. Before things got too crazy, we set about giving Dash her presents. She opened Rarity's first, to find a new pair of flight goggles with a rainbow strap and her cutie mark on the back. _'Oh, my gift will go perfect with that!'_ I looked over and Rarity and winked, and she nodded back. Applejack's gift was a few jars of zap apple jam and a personal barrel of cider. Dash's eyes lit up at the sight of the barrel and she wrapped AJ in a bone-crushing hug.

"!" she said while squeezing the orange mare.

AJ hacked. "RD...air!"

Dash let go of AJ with a giggle. "Sorry AJ, but really, thanks. You know how much I love your cider."

Pinkie's gift was next, and Dash opened the bright pink box to find a dozen rainbow-frosted cupcakes. She smiled and gave her pink friend a big hug. Dash then grabbed a small yellow-wrapped box with a pink ribbon from Fluttershy. As she opened the box, her eyes widened as she pulled out a pair of dark flight goggles, signed by Spitfire, Soarin, Rapidfire and Fleetfoot of the Wonderbolts.

"F-Fluttershy...how?" the cyan mare stuttered.

The usually timid pegasus giggled. "I have my ways, Dashie. Happy birthday." She wrapped her best friend in a tight hug. They rainbow-maned pegasus closed her eyes and returned the hug with a smile.

Dash grabbed my present next, but I stopped her. "No Dashie...I want you to open mine last. Trust me." She nodded and smiled.

Twilight stepped forward next with a rainbow-wrapped gift box. Dash took it with a smile and tore off the wrapping. She opened the small box and pulled out a small bracelet with engravings of all of the Elements' cutie marks.

Dash smiled, but looked a little confused. "This is really nice Twi and I like it, but..."

Twilight smiled back. "Look at the inside of the band, Rainbow."

Dash read the inside out loud. "Soar through the sky, and into your dreams. To our friend, the pegasus that's 20% cooler." Dash smiled at Twilight, a tear in her eye.

Twilight brought her into a hug. "It's for you to remember us when you become a Wonderbolt. You'll make it Dash, I know you will...we all do."

Dash actually started crying with a smile on her face. "T-thanks, Twi. I love you guys..." We all gathered for another group hug around her, but this time she just sighed contentedly and smiled.

My brother held out a present next, the wrapping of course being subpar. She ripped open the package to pull out a bright blue helmet that matched her coat. She cocked an eyebrow at him and he laughed.

"It's made of titanium. I found a new way to heat the metal using my own fire. It's very thin and light, but twice as strong. As you can see, it's also very aerodynamic. It'll make it easier for you to hit top speed while still keeping your vision clear, and it's hard enough and padded enough to protect that thick skull of yours when you're practicing new tricks." he said with a smirk.

Dash shoved him playfully before pulling him into a hug. "Thanks a lot, Dark. I love it."

Luna stepped up next with a very large box covered in a shimmering gold wrapping paper. "This is from both myself and Tia. We hope you like it, Rainbow Dash."

Dash nodded and ripped open the package, then stepped back in awe. Inside was a white suit of armor, not unlike the royal pegasus guards wore. On the breastplate was etching of the Elements' cutie marks, as well as my own in the middle. Dash pulled out the helmet first, to find that it weighed next to nothing, and was surprised to find it shimmered in the light with the colors of the rainbow.

Celestia spoke up. "We know how protective you are of your friends, Rainbow Dash, and you have ended up in the hospital on more than one occasion because of it. This is modified royal guard armor, enchanted to be light as a feather. It is made of magesteel, a very rare naturally magical metal that is stronger than diamonds. This armor will not inhibit your flight capabilities, but will allow you to protect your loved ones fervently without endangering yourself too much. A perfect gift for the Element of Loyalty, I think...and one of the bravest - if sometimes hot-headed - ponies I have ever known."

Dash walked over to the two princesses and embraced them in a hug. "Thank you so much. This...this means a lot to me." The two princesses returned the hug to the pegasus and nudged her back over to me.

I handed my present to Dash and she opened the package quickly. Her mouth dropped open. Everyone stared at her and I nodded.

"What is it, Dash?" Twilight asked.

The rainbow daredevil smiled. "Wait here and I'll show you."

She grabbed the box my gift was in and Rarity's goggles and sped off to the study on the second floor. She returned a moment later with her new flight suit on and her goggles from Rarity. Everyone in the room gasped. The entire room was silent until Pinkie spoke up for us all.

"That...is...so...COOL! OHMYGOSH DASHIE! You look awesome!" Pinkie said with a massive smile.

Dash struck a pose. "Oh yeah, this is awesome..." She then tackled me to the ground. "Thanks so much Steel...this suit is amazing! It's so cool!"

I laughed. "Well give Rarity some credit too. She helped me come up with it and of course she did the actual clothing work."

Dash then rushed over to Rarity and hugged her as well, nuzzling her mane. "Thanks, Rare. This suit is amazing."

The white unicorn hugged back strongly. "You are most welcome, Rainbow Dash. Only the best for Equestria's fastest flyer."

With all of the presents out of the way, we all started to mingle, dance, and all that stuff. Well...I didn't dance, but you know what I mean. All of the ponies have had a couple of drinks by now, so the party was loose and fun. I think I even saw Luna dancing with Twilight and Dash on the dance floor. I just sat on the couch with a broad smile nursing my fourth cup of hard cider. It began to get a little hot inside, so I trotted up to the observation deck for some fresh air, leaving the booming bass of the party music downstairs. I opened the glass shield and took a deep breath of the refreshing, cool air. I sat down with my drink and just stared out at the lovely winter day. I heard hoofsteps from behind me as well as what sounded like clawed feet. I turned to see Big Mac, Moonfang, and my brother coming up behind me. Big Mac was holding a bucket with bottles of hard cider in it.

"Mind if we join ya pardner?" said the crimson stallion.

I shook my head with a smile. "Not at all, guys. Take a seat and enjoy the cool air."

They all nodded and took seats around the outdoor hearth. I levitated a few logs in with some effort and sparked a small flame that slowly overtook the fuel logs.

"So Moonfang, it's been awhile. What have you been up to?" I asked the wolf.

He took a sip of the sweet alcoholic beverage and smiled. "Things have been very good Steel, thanks. I just want to thank you again for doing what you did for me. It literally changed my life."

I nodded. "You're most welcome, Moonfang. How's life with Fluttershy?"

He looked down in thought, but smiled. "It's great. She's very kind to me, and for that I am grateful. I really like her. I wish I could find a mate like her."

I chuckled. "Well why don't you run that by her and see what she thinks of it?"

He looked confused. "I...I am not sure what you mean, Steel. I should tell her I want to find a mate like her?"

My brother rolled his eyes and tapped the wolf on his shoulder. "Dude, she likes you. I can't say how much, but that little pony is scared of everything. If she's that comfortable around you and lets you live with her, she obviously cares about you. Besides, I've seen you two in public, and she just loves to hug you, in case you haven't noticed. No offense, but you have wooden skin. If she's that hug-tastic with you, it's not because she loves to feel like she's rubbing up against a tree. 'sall I'm sayin'."

He nodded and stood up. "You're right, I should speak to her right now."

I nodded. "Right now would be good. Knowing her, Dash is probably getting her to drink. Give it much longer and she's just going to pass out. You better hurry." The wolf nodded and bounded down the stairs.

Big Mac chuckled, as did I. "They grow up so fast." I said, wiping away a fake tear.

The dragon and stallion laughed at me. "Okay grandpa." said the obsidian dragon with a smirk.

I raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Hey you can call me old if you want, but who has three Elements of Harmony, a goddess, and a lyrist? This guy, that's who. Guess the ladies just like the older, cultured gentlecolt."

Dark kicked my chair and laughed. "Dude if you're cultured, I'm a rainbow-haired clown with a righteous codpiece."

I chuckled and turned to Big Mac. "So Mac, how are things with you and mum?"

The stallion suddenly got nervous. "Umm...well things are good."

I placed a hoof on his shoulder, as did my brother but with a claw. "Mac, don't worry. She's a grown woman. If we were going to kick your flank for dating our mother, we'd have done it already. Her business is her business. I'm just asking if things are going good."

He relaxed with a sigh of relief. "Eeyup, things are goin' good. I gotta be honest, Steel. I could see me an' her goin' somewhere."

I smiled and gave a playful slug. "It's about time, Mac. Who'd have known it would take a mare coming from a different world altogether for you to finally find one you like? Well so long as you make her happy, I don't have a problem with it."

Dark suddenly got very close to Big Mac's face. "But if you break her heart for no good reason, they'll never find your body." He glared at the red stallion for a second before bursting out into laughter. "I'm just kidding Mac, I know you'll treat her good."

We kept drinking until all the alcohol was gone, and needless to say we were all very...relaxed. Big Mac stumbled towards the stairs, my brother following him to make sure he didn't take a tumble down the staircase. I continued to sit on the couch nursing the last of my drink, just thinking again about how much my life has changed in such a short time. This time last year, I was working at a dead-end job in a world I honestly hated. Being in Equestria, Earth seems so far away. I let my mind wander for awhile until I heard hoofsteps coming up, albeit a little unsteadily. I looked towards the staircase to find Lyra and Luna walking towards me, slight blushes on their faces and giggling as if they'd heard a funny joke. I could tell they were both a little drunk, so I quickly made room next to me so they wouldn't fall on me. Luna gracefully sat down next to me, while Lyra nearly fell on the couch. I could have sworn Lyra must have fallen asleep almost instantly, as I heard soft little snores from her. I focused hard and levitated her to the bed behind us and covered her up. Upon release of the spell, I felt a little drained, and Luna noticed.

"Steel, you must take care not to over exert yourself. You are still building up your magic." she said with concern.

I smiled and nuzzled her. "I'll be fine Luna. I've never been known for being reckless."

I leaned against her and began singing a song to her...

"When I counted up my demons.

Saw there was one for every day.

With the good ones on my shoulders,

I drove the other ones away."

As closed my eyes and began to sing, I could swear I heard the music playing...

"So if you ever feel neglected,

If you think that all is lost,

Well I'll be counting up my demons, yeah,

Hoping everything's not lost."

Wait a minute...I _could _hear the music. What was going on?

"When you thought that it was over,

You could feel it all around,

And everybody's out to get you,

Don't you let it drag you down.

'Cos if you ever feel neglected,

If you think that all is lost,

I'll be counting up my demons, yeah.

Hoping everything's not lost."

Luna noticed too, because her ears perked up and she sat up straight, looking around.

"If you ever feel neglected,

If you think that all is lost,

I'll be counting up my demons, yeah,

Hoping everything's not lost."

I was compelled to finish the song, even though by now Luna was staring at me with wide eyes.

"Singing out,

Oh oh oh yeah,

Oh oh yeah,

Oh oh yeah,

Everything's not lost.

So come on yeah,

Oh oh yeah,

A'come on yeah,

And everything's not lost,

Oh oh yeah,

Oh oh yeah,

Oh oh yeah,

And everything's not lost,

Come on yeah,

Oh oh yeah,

A'come on yeah..."

Luna closed her eyes and smiled, swaying to the rhythm of the song.

"A'come on yeah,

Oh oh yeah,

Come on yeah,

Everything's not lost

Sing out yeah,

Oh oh yeah,

Come on yeah,

Everything's not lost,

Come on yeah,

Oh oh yeah,

Sing out yeah,

And everything's not lost."

As I finished the song, I could see Luna suddenly realize it was over and start staring at me again.

"Steel, how did you do that?" she asked incredulously.

I simply shook my head. "I'm not sure. I just sang the song like I always have, albeit an octave lower because of my voice range. Strangely enough, I don't feel tired like I usually do after using magic. Do you think your sister would know what just happened?"

Luna placed her hoof on her chin in thought. "I am not sure, but it could not hurt to ask. She would be here still, so let us go downstairs and ask her."

I followed Luna's lead and walked downstairs to see Celestia...dancing? I stood there for a moment before chuckling. She heard me and turned around with a smirk.

"What...a princess isn't allowed to dance?" she asked with a giggle.

I shook my head with a giggle of my own. "I am just surprised that you're so good at it. I'm glad one of us is. Anyway Celly, I have something I want to show you and everyone else here. I want to see if you can tell me exactly what's happening." I looked over at Vinyl and she tossed me a mic. I have to be honest, I felt kind of nervous with a room full of ponies staring at me now, but I did the same as I did upstairs and closed my eyes...feeling the music within me.

"Birds flying high

You know how I feel

Sun in the sky

You know how I feel

Breeze driftin' on by

You know how I feel

It's a new dawn

It's a new day

It's a new life

For me

And I'm feeling...good

I'm feeling good"

Just like when I was with Luna, the backing music started softly, almost as if I'm imagining it. Until the brass kicked in...and suddenly ponies everywhere started to nod their heads and I could tell they heard it too.

"Fish in the sea

You know how I feel

River running free

You know how I feel

Blossom on a tree

You know how I feel

It's a new dawn

It's a new day

It's a new life

For me

And I'm feeling good"

As I started to get more into the song I opened my eyes and stood up on my hind legs, moving around smoothly. Vinyl had taken her goggles off and was staring at me with her mouth open, Celly doing the same.

"Dragonfly out in the sun you know what I mean, don't you know

Butterflies all havin' fun you know what I mean

Sleep in peace when day is done

That's what I mean

And this old world is a new world

And a bold world

For me.

For me!"

I stepped down into the crowd seeking out each one of my girls that were there, singing a bit to them. Pinkie nearly fainted, while Twilight did when I kissed her on the cheek. _'Ah, the power of the crooner...'_

"Stars when you shine

You know how I feel

Scent of the pine

You know how I feel

Oh freedom is mine

And I know how I feel

It's a new dawn

It's a new day

It's a new life"

I stood in front of Pinkie and placed a hoof on her chin, looking right into her eyes. _'Okay, this is fun...I could definitely get used to this.'_

"It's a new dawn

It's a new day

It's a new life"

I stepped back to Luna and Celly, singing in front of them before seeking out Dash, and making my way closer to her with each sentence. I grabbed her with my free hoof and started dancing with her. _'Wait a minute...I definitely can't dance usually. I could definitely get used to this...whatever it is.'_

"It's a new dawn

It's a new day

It's a new life

It's a new life

For me

And I'm feeling...good

I'm feeling good

I feel so good

I feel so good"

With the last word I dipped Dash and kissed her softly. She closed her eyes with a sigh and went limp in my foreleg. When she opened her eyes, she stared at me with a dreamy expression of bliss, while the entire room erupted in applause. I sat her down on the couch behind me to make sure she wouldn't fall or something, then walked over to Celly and Luna.

"So, what did you think?" I asked with a smile.

Celestia just stared at me in awe before smiling. "Well I think it's safe to say you've uncovered a talent of yours, Steel. I believe that if you didn't already have your cutie mark, you'd get a music-related one. Now about the spell - and yes it was a spell - that you cast...I've only heard rumors of such an ability in the past. It appears that your passion for the music you perform feeds into you, and in a way gives you life. The spell somehow feeds off of this passion you have within you instead of your magic, which is why you haven't collapsed from exhaustion. It works in the same way that Luna and I can raise and lower our sun and moon, as we have a passion for what we do."

I nodded. "So is it like I created another spell or did this one already exist?"

Luna shook her head. "No Steel, the spell you cast already exists. You just have the means to cast it while using little to no magic."

I frowned. "Y'know, I kinda wish I had a greater passion for the protection of my family. The music thing will be great and all, but I doubt it'll be all that useful in a battle-type situation."

Celestia laughed and shook her head. "The feeling needed to cast the spell the way you did must be pure, and non-violent. That is why it wouldn't work in a fight. Obviously a fight is quite violent."

I nodded. "Yeah that makes sense." It was then that I heard the crowd in the room shouting 'MORE, MORE, MORE!' and I sighed. "Guess they're calling for me." I turned to the crowd and picked up the mic. "Okay everyone, one more song. For this one though, I'm going to need my guitar. Spike, you know where it is, it's the one that's shaped like a giant 'V'."

Spike nodded and headed downstairs. He returned a few moments later with my Gibson Flying V guitar. I had gotten it when I was just fifteen, and have had it ever since. I slung the old guitar over my head and shoulder then took the amp cord and plugged it into the soundboard of Vinyl's. She got the hint and asked me to test a bit, and she adjusted the levels. She gave me a smile and a nod.

I then started to strum out the opening of Van Halen's "Panama" with the edge of my hoof, which luckily worked very well. I had to use magic at first for the frets, until I suddenly felt the strain be taken off of me when I started to feel the song.

"Uh!

Oh yeah!

Ah-huh!

Jump back, what's that sound?

Here she comes, full blast and top down

Hot shoe, burnin' down the avenue

Model citizen, zero discipline

Don't ya know she's coming home with me

You'll lose her in that turn

I'll get her!

Panama, Panama

Panama, Panama

Ain't nothin' like it, her shiny machine

Got the feel for the wheel, keep the movin' parts clean

Hot shoe, burnin' down the avenue

Got an on-ramp comin' through my bedroom

Don't you know she's coming home with me

You'll lose her in that turn

I'll get her

Uh-oh!

Panama, Panama

Wow!

Panama, Panama

Oh-oh-oh-oh

Woo!"

When the guitar solo came, I found myself shredding faster than I ever had before. My fingers had always spazzed out on this part, but my magic was more dextrous, oddly enough.

"Yeah, we're runnin' a little bit hot tonight

I can barely see the road from the heat comin' off

You know what I'm sayin'

Ahh, I reach down between my legs n' ease the seat back

She's runnin', I'm flyin'

Right behind in the rearview mirror now

Got the fearin', power steerin'

Pistons poppin', ain't no stoppin' now

Panama, Panama

Panama, Panama

Oh-oh-oh-oh

Panama, Panama

Oh-oh-oh-oh

Panama!"

I closed my eyes for a moment and stood up, before I was nearly knocked over by the thunderous applause of the ponies filling the room. I smiled and bowed before placing my guitar next to the DJ booth and stepping off of the "stage".

Pinkie ran up and hugged me. "Ohmygosh Steelie, that was awesome! I wanna hear more sometime!"

I chuckled and kissed the pink mare on the cheek. "Oh you will. Now that I know I can do this kind of thing, I'll be performing a lot more for you girls." She smiled and hugged me again.

By this time, it was around midnight, so the ponies started to filter out, including Celestia. We all said goodbye to her and she gave us all a big hug before she took off in the air towards Canterlot. Luna and Dash were both leaning against me in the doorway, watching her leave. After she disappeared into the night, we all got to cleaning up the library before heading to the shower and then to bed.

Lyra was already asleep on the top deck, so we all decided to sleep up there. Upon entering the room, we all just lay down on the bed, Luna on my right side and Twilight between us. Dash floated in and settled between us as well, but laying sideways against my leg. Pinkie and Lyra were already asleep on my left. I looked at Twilight and then at Luna, she winked at me and I smiled. We both leaned in and kissed her on the cheeks, and she blushed madly and giggled. Drunk Twilight was fun...

Strangely enough I had trouble sleeping, and found myself lying awake staring at the ceiling. It was aggravating as nothing in particular was on my mind...I just couldn't sleep. I felt Pinkie stir beside me, and she looked up at me with those pretty blue eyes.

"Steelie, why are you still awake, aren't you tired?" she asked innocently.

I nodded. "I am very tired Pinkie, but I don't know, I just can't fall asleep."

She nodded and got closer to me, wrapping her hooves around me. This helped, and I finally felt myself start to drift off. Just before falling asleep, I felt soft lips on my cheek before sleep finally claimed me.


	17. Ch 15: Is it Worth it?

**A/N: Drew and Steelbreaker here with a continuation of the story that many have come to enjoy, surprisingly. **

**By the way, I read "My Little Dashie" for the first time and all I can say is that I cried so damn hard I actually ran out of tears. Yes...it can really happen. **

**Anyway, I've got a new chapter here. Hope you all enjoy! As always, R&R and let us know what you think.**

**To Ausarheart - Meh, I thought about doing a "Cupcakes" nightmare-type spinoff, but so many stories incorporate it now that I think it's become too cliché. Still debating on that though. **_**My birthday is the 10th of January, so yes...it's coming up relatively soon. **_**I am always open to the idea of adding another writer's OC character so long as it keeps to the storyline I'm building to. All I can say to any such person is read the story and ask yourself if your character(s) would fit by both personality and the flow of the story itself. If the honest answer is yes, I'm all ears.**

**To JB - Fear not young one, for there will be such a drunken night of debauchery. More than likely it's going to be for Steel or Luna's birthday, though I haven't decided whose yet. All pseudo-character immersion aside, Steel is me in nearly every way, save for the whole being a magical element of awesome...so as far as the music, I do play several instruments, sing, and have been known to mix an electronic song or two. Music is my life, so I want to incorporate it into the story.**

**To AnOnBrOnY5 - Cool is coming. I have yet to have my first real fight scene, and I think our protagonist(s) have gone far too long without waking up beaten in a hospital, don't you? **_**Hey, I like my non-concussed state, thank you. **_**Oh shut up Steel, you'll live...probably.**

**EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!(you're awesome if you know what that's from without looking it up)**

**Songs mentioned: "Another Brick in the Wall" parts 1, 2, and 3 by Pink Floyd on the album **_**The Wall**_**. "Let it Be" by The Beatles on the album **_**Let it Be**_**.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters associated with My Little Pony: Friendship is magic, nor the original story.**

* * *

Chapter 15: Is it Worth It?

**Perspective change - Lyra**

I woke up in bed next to a fluffy pink mane with a splitting headache and the need to curse at the light shining in my eyes. Luckily, I caught my bearings long enough to prevent a string of obscenities spewing out of my mouth, instead just groaning with pain. I rolled off the plush bed careful not to wake anyone and stumbled to the bathroom as quietly as I could. Thankfully the room was just around the corner, so I didn't have to brave the swaying hallway for long. I stood up against the counter in the lavatory and shook my head at my appearance. My mane was bedraggled, my eyes were bloodshot, and I had a line of dried drool on my cheek. _'Oh yeah...that's so sexy. I'm sure Steel would just love to wake up next to this.'_ I turned on the shower and stepped in immediately, letting the cold water drops wash away some of my hangover. I heard the door open and saw a blurred blue shape through the shower doors. It approached me and that's when I noticed a polychromatic mane...Rainbow Dash.

She knocked on the door softly. "Hey Lyra, you mind if I join ya?"

I pushed open the door and beckoned her in without a word, placing a hoof to my lips and making a "shhhh" sound, because my head was still pounding with every noise. The cyan pegasus stepped in next to me and began to dampen herself underneath she water. She did much the same as I did and just sat down on the tile flooring, letting the cool water wash over her. I leaned towards her and whispered in her ear, more for my benefit than hers. "Rainbow, please don't ever let me drink that much again. Never, ever, _ever_ again."

She just giggled softly and placed a hoof on my shoulder. "Dark tried to warn you those drinks would sneak up on you, but nooo...you had to get into a drinking contest with Pinkie. I warned you after all."

I resigned to just laying down in the water now...it felt so good. "I really don't need the 'I told you so' speech right now. What I _do _need is a good massage. I think I slept wrong or something, because my neck is killing me. Do you know if Steel's any good at giving a massage?"

She blushed. "W-well that depends on what your definition of 'good' is. You don't need to bother Steel with that though, I can give you one."

I turned back to look at her with a raised eyebrow. "No offense Rainbow, but you don't seem like the gentle type. I need hooves that will relax my tension away, not rearrange my bones."

She snorted and placed her hooves on my exposed back. "Just trust me, I know what I'm doing. I learned from a trainer of mine during flight school."

I felt her place her hooves on my exposed back while applying light pressure, moving them in a circular motion on the muscles just behind my shoulders. I couldn't contain a soft moan of pleasure. "Wow...that's a lot better than I was expecting. N-no offense, Dash."

She leaned really close to my right ear, and I could feel her breath. "Oh...I'm just _full _of surprises, Lyra."

Wait a minute...was she coming on to me? I couldn't deny that she was really cute, but what about Steel? I kinda felt like even doing this I was cheating on him somehow. I know it didn't really make sense, but..."Rainbow, I really don't - _oh - _know about - _mmm _- p-please don't stop..."

**Perspective change - Steel**

I woke up slowly, luckily without a headache. I looked around me and smiled, all the mares sleeping soundly still...even Pinkie. _'Wait...someone's missing...'_ I just shrugged it off and softly floated out of bed and trotted to the washroom. I stepped in the steamed up room to hear the shower running...and then I saw something I for some reason wished I shouldn't have. It was...private.

I just gasped and closed my eyes. "Shit...I'm sorry!"

I left the washroom, nearly slamming the door behind me with my heart beating nearly out of my chest. _'Wow...that was one of the last things I was expecting this morning...right before a greased deaf pony running around town.'_ I just shook my head to clear the image before heading downstairs for some breakfast and coffee. My brother was standing next to the kitchen and he handed me a cup of coffee with a smirk.

"So, how's your morning going?"

I shook my head. "Interesting so far. I just walked in on Dash and Lyra in the shower."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Okay, so?"

I raised my eyebrows. "_Together_."

His eyes went wide and he looked upstairs. "Are they still in there?" He started to make his way upstairs.

I flicked a bit of magic and pulled him back. "No dude, don't be a dick. I'd rather not have to explain to a bunch of pissed off females why I didn't stop you from attempting to watch a 'free show'."

He chuckled and waved a claw. "C'mon man, I'm just teasin'. Besides, what are you doing down here? You should be gettin' in on that action. Are you gay or something?"

I rolled my eyes. "Totally dude. My straight mannerisms and perceived interest in the opposite sex is all just a cover. You've found me out! Oh woe is me, it is all over." I said dramatically with a hoof over my forehead.

He chuckled a bit and then looked at a book that had been left on the reading table, suddenly taking a very serious face. "Dude, I've been reading up on a few things lately, and it's got me thinking..."

I took another swig of the lovely caffinated beverage. "About?"

He sighed a little distraught. "Well...I caught sight of the life expectancy of a dragon. Dude, I'm going to live to be about five hundred years old, at least."

I sat down next to him, and eyed him with interest. "Wow...that's pretty heavy man. Yeah, supposedly alicorns live forever unless killed, and even that's supposed to be a hard task."

He looked a little depressed at me. "Nah dude, you know what that means right? That means that all of these girls...mom...Jen...we're gonna outlive all of them. You'll also outlive me."

I felt his dejected tone spread to me. "Wow. You know when you put it that way, it's kind of depressing. Thanks a lot for ruining my day, asshat."

He actually looked at me apologetically. "I'm sorry man...it's just that now I'm kinda worried about things. I mean, what's going to happen to me when Applejack di-"

I cut him off. "Dude, knock it off. Seriously, keep that shit to yourself, my mind is already running crazy with the idea. I don't need to start thinking about how I'm going to react when I have to attend Dashie's funeral one day...FUCK!" I cursed loudly. I stormed out of the library. "I need some air."

I took off flying as soon as I closed the front door behind me. I had to get away. I didn't even care where right now, I just needed to fly far away...away from my thoughts. The bad thing about thoughts is that no matter how fast you fly, they catch up with you. I sat down on a cloud in turmoil. In just five minutes my brain hit the realization like a brick wall: everyone that I loved save for Luna was going to eventually get old and die. Twilight will one day have such bad vision she might not be able to read anymore. Dash will one day be so stiff and tired she won't be able to fly anymore. Pinkie will eventually lose her all-encompassing exuberance. Lyra will one day lose that cheeky young attitude that I loved. Eventually they would all grow old and die, leaving me to watch them pass into the next life, whatever that is on this world. The more I thought about it, the more depressed I got. I just wish someone could give me answers. _'Wait a minute...Celestia! She'll know how to handle this...right?'_ I immediately took off towards the palace.

* * *

I arrived at the front gates, the guards simply nodding and waving me inside. It was still early morning, so I know Celly would still be in the banquet hall for breakfast, so I asked a nearby guard to escort me there. I walked into the large room to find Celly enjoying a small sandwich with some tea. She looked up at me and smiled, but her smile quickly faded into concern when she saw my face.

"Steel, what's the matter?" she asked softly.

I just sat down next to her with a sad sigh.

She prodded my shoulder. "Steel, you can talk to me. What has you down?"

I looked over at her with tears threatening to break free. "Celly...I just realized the gravity of my immortality. The fact that I will live while my loved ones die. I-I don't know how to deal with it."

She showed a look of understanding and stood up. "Come...we will speak in my private chambers. Follow me, Steel."

I complied and followed her down the winding corridors and hallways of the palace, until we came upon a massive golden door with a depiction of the sun on it. She nodded to the two guards standing post outside, waving hem off to leave. She then pushed on the door and I followed her inside. Her room was not unlike Luna's, though instead of a magical ceiling of a starry expanse, hers was simply a normal ceiling.

She pointed at her bed while grabbing a brush in her magic. "Sit, Steel."

I nodded and sat down on the soft bed...a little too soft, actually. She brushed her ever-flowing mane a few times and sat down on the opposite side of the bed, laying down and propping herself up with a pillow and her hoof.

She motioned for me to do the same. "Get comfortable, there is much for me to say."

I nodded and just lay on my back, propping my head up with a foreleg. "So Celly, what have you to say?"

She suddenly looked a little sad. "Steel...I understand your pain, more than you know."

My ears perked up. "You were in love once? With who?"

She just shook her head and smiled sadly. "Truth be told Steel, I have my eye on somepony right now, as a matter of fact. That aside though, I know what it's like to have to watch a loved one die knowing that there's nothing you can do to stop it. I understand what it's like to know that everyone you know will at one point cease to be. This is why my bond with my sister is so strong. Luna is the one pony I know will always be by my side. It is because of our immortality that alicorns have rarely chosen mates who were not also alicorns. I made what I considered to be such a mistake centuries ago..."

I placed a hoof softly on her shoulder as she shed a tear. "What was his name?"

She lowered her gaze to the soft sheets we were laying on. "Veroxzhar." She moved closer and nuzzled against my mane, crying softly.

"That doesn't sound like a pony's name I've ever heard of. Did ponies have different names back then?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

She shook her head, still buried in my mane. "No, he was not a pony. He was...a dragon."

I drew a sharp breath in surprise. "You were enamored with a dragon? Wow. I mean I guess I don't really have a problem with interspecies relationships - with me technically being a human and all - but wow...he must have been quite the charmer to catch your attention."

She drew back and looked at me again. "Yes, he was very different from most dragons. He was a gem dragon, like Twilight's assistant, Spike. Just like all dragons he was proud, wise, and powerful. However he was also kind, gentle, and loving. Dragons are not the heartless monsters ponies think they are, Steel. They are simply...misunderstood. Dragonkin keep up the facade to keep any land-hungry races from invading their lands. Make no mistake, they are actually a noble and intelligent race. They simply wish to protect their kind, as I do my own."

I nodded slowly. "I understand. You really do know my fears then. I'm not sure what I should do though. I love Twilight and the others fully, but I am just afraid of the heartbreak of their inevitable decline and death."

She frowned and stood up in front of me. "Well Steel, in response to that I must take measures to assure that you do not suffer such sadness and pain. As your princess I hereby forbid you from any further relationships with non-alicorns."

I was dumbstruck. "B-but what? N-no...you can't do that! I won't let you! I don't care if you are the princess or not, you have no right so suggest such a thing!"

Her gaze grew forceful. "You dare defy your princess? What makes you think you know more than I?"

I stood, a fierce glare on my face. "Because it's worth it. You may be ruler of this land, but you have no right to place a law on my feelings. I don't care if it's fifty minutes or fifty years, every second is worth it..." I dropped my glare and stared off into space.

The regal alicorn walked closer to me and smiled. "I believe you've given us both an answer, Steel. Never stop caring, never stop loving...that is the secret to the sanity of an immortal. Whether it be a simple subject or my precious student, Twilight...I love all of my little ponies with all of my heart. Learn to do the same, and you will be just fine. Besides," she stepped closer and embraced me in a tight hug. "you will always have myself and Luna by your side. When the time comes, you will miss those who have passed...but you will never be alone. That much I promise you."

I let slip a few tears and smiled, returning the hug. "Thank you Celly. You've given me quite a few things to think about...but I think I'll be okay now. This has actually taken a lot out of me...do you mind if I take a nap here?"

She released me and nodded. "You may use my bed. I will be in the throne room should you need me while you're here. Sleep well..."

I could have sworn I heard her say something else, but I just settled into the plush bed and nearly instantly fell asleep.

**Perspective change - Celestia**

"Sleep well...prince." I said in a whisper. He lay his head down on my pillow and closed his eyes, quickly slipping off into much-needed rest. I silently left the room and closed the door, heading towards the boredom that awaited me in the throne room.

* * *

Day court was more of a formality now because of Twilight's organizational skills. Where once there were dozens of cases to go through, there were now rarely more than ten, if that. More often than not, I would actually bring a book to keep myself occupied in between cases, casually chatting with Brightwing and Shining Armor, my two most trusted guards.

I had met Sir Brightwing when he was but a foal, his parents being servants within the palace. He showed much promise early in life as a fighter and as he grew, he became a personal friend of mine. When he was nineteen, I inducted him into the Royal Guard training program at his request, and he has been serving ever since.

Guard Captain Shining Armor is a different story. He was once a recruit in the Royal Guard during an attack from a radical gryphon faction, where he nearly gave his life in my protection. For his valor and stalwart dedication, I immediately asked that he be promoted to Captain. Shortly after his promotion he fell in love with my niece, Princess Cadence. The day of their marriage in Canterlot, Queen Chrysalis infiltrated and attacked with her swarm of changelings. Upon regaining his own consciousness with the efforts of Twilight and the other elements, Captain Shining Armor recast his barrier spell, effectively ending the incident. The young captain became a personal advisor and friend, and I trust him with my life. He is also one of the only living ponies who knows about my past.

While waiting for another court case to come about, I was speaking casually with the two guards, about seemingly random things until Shining Armor brought up the topic of his younger sister, Twilight.

"Well, I worry about her, Celestia. I mean she's been sending me letters lately talking about some stallion and I haven't even met the guy yet."

I simply smiled. "Fear not, Captain, I can personally assure you that she is in good hooves. As a matter of fact, perhaps you could meet him soon."

He nodded. "That _would_ put my mind at ease. Any idea when that would be?"

I just smiled. "How about now?" I focused on Steel. _'Steel, would you come to the throne room please?'_

It took a moment for him to respond. _'You know Celly, any other pony would be cranky when you wake them up from a good dream. Just saying.'_

I giggled. _'Oh come now Steel, you know I would not wake you if it were not important. Captain Shining Armor wishes to meet the stallion who makes his sister happy.'_

I felt him sigh. _'Fine fine, I'm on my way.'_

A few minutes passed before Steel strode into the throne room, catching the attention of the two guards at my sides. The each bowed to him, and he just simply rolled his eyes.

"Guys please don't bow. I might be an alicorn, but I'm not royalty, I assure you." he said with a hint of annoyance.

The two guards stood once more, eyeing me with confusion. "He speaks the truth. Captain Armor, Brightwing, I would like you to meet Steelbreaker. Shining Armor, this is the stallion you've heard so much about from Twilight."

Steel simply smiled. "Ah, so you're the awesome BBBFF I've heard so much about. Twilight's told me a lot about you."

The captain slowly advanced towards Steel, stopping a few feet in front of him. "Well you have manners, I guess you're doing okay so far."

Steel merely rolled his eyes again. "Well I'll answer a few questions for you that every protective brother would want to know. First off, I would protect Twilight with my life if it came to that. I treat her with the love and respect that she deserves. Lastly, no, we haven't done 'the naughty hug', as Pinkie Pie calls it."

Shining Armor tilted his head. "Did you just read my mind or something?"

Steel simply shook his head and smiled. "I'm not only the Element of the Guardian, but also a big brother myself. I just know how you feel is all."

The captain just stared at me and I giggled. I went about explaining the story of the lost elements, as well as how Steel came upon his. The two guards went about asking a few questions here and there, while Steel sat by my side looking utterly bored.

"So are there any other 'unknown elements' we should know about?" Brightwing asked with confusion.

I shook my head and sighed. "If there are, they are so much of a secret that even I do not know of their existence."

* * *

Day court finished early at lunchtime, so I invited Steel to join me for lunch. I found myself unconsciously glancing at him from time to time nervously, only to avert my gaze with a slight blush when he would look up. I couldn't deny to myself that he was a very handsome stallion, and I believe that the fact he was also immortal unconsciously allowed me to lower the wall I usually kept around my own emotions. Looking at him without the guarded mind I usually have, I could see why my sister had fallen for him. He had changed quite a bit just from coming to our world. He had gone from an anti-social human to a stallion that loved to be around others. From what he had told me of his world, I understood exactly why he chose to be alone rather than seek out other human companionship. Much of his world was selfish, corrupted, and _dark_. I still remember my look of shock when he told us all of the often pointless killing that took place on Earth.

I was happy I had brought such a man here, and I know he was too. For the first time in many years, I felt proud of something other than my duty of raising the sun.

I remember upon him first coming here, I would find myself almost unconsciously probing his mind, trying to discern his thoughts. Somehow he quickly found a way to shield himself, his explanation being that there were things he had done that would prove detrimental to my mental health. I was at first offended that he thought me some fragile flower, but understood when he explained to me what was considered a simple nightmare to him. I remember him referencing a story - a "fanfiction" as he called it - on his world, called "Cupcakes". After hearing a general explanation of the story, I began to see what he meant when he referred to the human race as sick and diseased.

We quickly finished lunch and made our way to the gardens for the bit of new-found downtime I found myself with during recent times. Thanks to my precious student, I now had time to be more than a simple ruler. I had time to be Celestia again after more than three centuries. I had real friends again - a luxury I had not allowed myself since Verox had died those many years ago. I felt my age pressing down on me, but looking over at the young alicorn stallion laying on the grass a few feet away from me made me smile. He opened his eyes and looked at me with concern.

"Is something on your mind Celly? You've been deep in thought most of the time I've been here today."

I was forced myself from my thoughts and offered a smile. "Yes, I fear my mind has been wandering. I apologize."

He scooted closer and placed a hoof on my side, softly brushing my cutie mark in the process. I just barely contained an involuntary moan. Still, he looked up at me with concerned eyes. "Celly, you once asked me to voice any concerns I had. You told me I could tell you anything. Well now I'm extending the same thing to you. What's bothering you?"

I looked over and smiled softly at him. "I pray you don't take this the wrong way, but I've been thinking of you."

He smiled. "I kinda figure since you hope I don't take it the wrong way, you mean you're thinking of me in a non-romantic sense. True?"

I just nodded. "I won't lie and say I do not find you attractive on a number of levels, but no...that is not where my thoughts were. I was simply thinking of how different you've turned out to be from what I had imagined, especially considering your life and the world you came from. You could have easily turned out much more...hostile."

He just chuckled. "Well Celestia, I don't really have an answer for that one. I wonder it myself sometimes. Following the rules of psychology, I should be all kinds of screwed up. I by no means had a horrible life however. There were many more out in the planet Earth who had it hundreds of times worse than me. I questioned it a few times in my adolescent years, but my mother did a good job of raising myself and my siblings on her own. We always had enough to eat, we always had a roof over our heads, and we never felt unloved. That's a lot more to have than most of the human race."

I simply let out a pained sigh. "Whenever you speak of your home planet, I feel as if you did not appreciate it in the least. Was there _anything _good about it?"

He simply shifted a bit closer to me and smiled with his eyes closed. "On Earth we have what I've come to notice is a defense mechanism. We always try and focus on the positive. Anyone who thought like I did was considered cold, cynical, and oftentimes depressed and depressing. The problem is that I was not so easily distracted from just how bad the faults of man had made the world I had to live in. Being brought here has simply reinforced that thought, and now that I no longer live within such a world, I can see it fully for what it truly was. I won't lie, there were some things there that were fun to do, but it was only because of the emotion I had come to think true happiness was. Happiness here on Terra is on a completely different level. I often find myself thinking how I could be happy on Earth, but then I realize just how different my way of thinking was back then. I mean, when I first met Luna I thought I had gone insane and she was just a manifestation of my own mind."

I always found myself at awe for how aged he sounded sometimes. My sister had confided in me that she had to often remind herself that she was the elder between the two of them, and now I found myself doing the same. He reminded me of Verox in some ways, namely his kindness and avoidance of my hints of affection towards him. I giggled softly and he looked over at me with confusion.

"Are you laughing at me? Yes I thought I was crazy, so what?" he said with a hint of annoyance.

I waved a hoof at him and smiled. "No Steel, I just thought it was funny that you remind me of Veroxzhar sometimes."

He sat up, genuinely interested. "Oh? And how do I remind you of a past love? This sounds juicy."

I giggled and smirked at him. "Well, Veroxzhar also avoided acknowledging my hints of affection as well."

He suddenly looked a bit uncomfortable. "Oh, well yeah...that. Sorry it's just a little strange to me is all."

I faked looking hurt. "Steel...you're saying I'm strange?"

His eyes widened and I had to restrain the urge to laugh. "What? N-no, I didn't mean that at all. What I meant was...well...I don't actually know what I meant. I just didn't mean it like that."

I shoved him and laughed loudly. "Oh Steel, you must learn to be able to tell when I'm joking with you. That was just too easy."

He smiled and chuckled. "Oh har har, nice one."

I slowly lay down next to him, looking up at the early afternoon sky. He was humming a bit, and then I started to hear music. He opened his eyes partway and started to sing.

"Daddy's flown across the ocean

Leaving just a memory

A snapshot in the family album

Daddy, what else did ya leave for me?

Daddy, whatcha leave behind for me?

All in all it was just a brick in the wall

All in all it was all just bricks in the wall

We don't need no education

We don't need no thought control

No dark sarcasm in the classroom

Teachers, leave them kids alone

Hey, Teachers, leave those kids alone

All in all its just another brick in the wall

All in all you're just another brick in the wall

We don't need no education

We don't need no thought control

No dark sarcasm in the classroom

Teachers, leave them kids alone

Hey, Teachers, leave those kids alone"

I heard a chorus of children's voices around me as well. My, the power of this spell still amazes me.

"All in all you're just another brick in the wall

All in all you're just another brick in the wall

I don't need no arms around me

I don't need no drugs to calm me

I have seen the writing on the wall

Don't think I need anything at all

No, don't think I need anything at all

All in all it was all just bricks in the wall

All in all you were all just bricks in the wall"

When he finished, I simply looked over at him with a smile, him facing me and returning a smile as well. _'Come on Celestia...just lean in and do it. You're only a foot away, just do it.'_ I started to lean in and he turned away from me. I was taken aback and suddenly was a little sad. "Steel, is something wrong? I apologize if I was too forward. It's just..."

He shook his head. "It's not that, Celly. There is more than just you and I involved. I'm confident not many that we know would really care, save for Twilight and Luna. However you're a princess and the ruler of this land. I'm not royalty...what do you think the implications of a princess dating a commoner would be? I understand times have changed, but that could still be a problem."

I giggled. "Well that's easily fixable Steel. I could just make you a prince. Being an alicorn and personal friend of two princesses, it's an easy process."

He sighed. "I mean it would be nice to have that problem out of the way and all, but I really don't like ponies bowing to me or anything. I mean you and Luna control the day and night, but what do I control? I wouldn't want to be a royal alicorn for no reason."

I shook my head. "Not all royalty are alicorns, Steel. Shining Armor is part of the royal family by marriage, and as you know Prince Blueblood is my nephew."

He laughed. "Yeah, but Blueblood is a jerkoff...no offense."

I laughed with him heartily. "None taken, Steel. I do agree, Prince Blueblood leave much to be desired. Your friend Rarity can attest to that."

He nodded. "Yeah, Spike told me all about that night. Needless to say he was very upset at how Blueblood treated her."

I tilted my head. "Indeed. Back to the matter at hand though, I must say that you already hold control over something important, though you have not known it. Frostrender is the avatar of ice and winter. He has chosen you as a vessel, Steel. So you see, you already control something important to the world, albeit unconsciously."

He raised an eyebrow. "You're really set on this whole 'princing' thing, aren't you? Very well, I supposed I can be persuaded to do it...although I will be sure and tell all of the ponies to not bow to me. Royalty or not, I still don't really like it...it makes me feel weird after growing up being just a regular guy on Earth."

I just giggled and placed a hoof on his shoulder. "You and Luna are more alike than it seems. She holds the same sentiment towards 'royal treatment'. I will admit it did bother me as well for the first few centuries of rule, but I soon realized that the treatment is not truly for me, it is for my ponies. They do not feel comfortable _not_ treating royalty with special treatment. Perhaps one day you will see that as well."

He laughed. "Unlikely, but I'll keep an open mind. Well Celly it's been a wonderful day, truly, but I did kinda leave without telling anyone where I was going this morning. I bet everyone is worried, so I'll be getting back now."

I nodded and stood up. "Very well, Steel. The paperwork and rituals for inducting you into royalty will take a few days, so await my summons." I stepped forward and embraced him softly with a foreleg. "It was good to see you Steel. I hope to see you more often soon."

He nodded and returned the hug before taking to the skies, his wild white mane whipping in the air.

**Perspective change - Luna**

I had been pacing in the library for hours, Twilight doing the same. Steel had simply left this morning with no warning to anyone but Darkflight, but even he did not know where Steel had gone. I had tried to make contact with both Steel and Tia trying to find where he was, but I received no answer. Hours ago my mind had begun to dwell on great fears of what might have happened and I had panicked. I had finally calmed down with the help of my friends, but Steel was still nowhere to be found. Both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had been gone for an hour now, scanning the skies for him while Moonfang and Darkflight searched through the Everfree forest. Pinkie Pie was standing outside the door waiting for any word from the group searching while Twilight and I waited as patiently as possible. I heard Pinkie Pie gasp from outside.

"Twitchy tail!" she yelled. I saw Spike and Twilight duck and I just stared at them, confused.

"Why are you both cowering so? What is wro-" I was cut off by a crash of the window above the door breaking, and a thud as something heavy hit the ground. I looked around the room to find a bloodied Steel lying in a pile of glass.

He stood up and shook his mane and tail out. "Ugh...sorry about that. Updraft caught me off guard."

After my momentary shock wore off, I glared at him. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" I shouted.

He winced and brought his hooves to his ears. "Geez Luna, can't you ever just yell like a normal pony?"

I glared at him even harder, but lowered my voice. "Answer my question, Steel. We have all been very worried about you. You left without telling anypony where you were going, and when I tried to contact your mind, you did not respond."

He scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Yeah...sorry about that. What started out as needing fresh air became a very lengthy talk with your sister about many things."

Twilight then strode up to him and punched him in the chest. "You could have left a note or something! We all thought something really bad happened, you idiot! Rainbow Dash is going to _kill _you!"

He rubbed his chest. "Watch it, Twi, I think you hit a piece of glass. Look, I'm sorry I just left. I just had something on my mind this morning that I needed to think alone about."

She looked confused and angry. "What could be so important that you just left without telling anyone?"

He just shook his head. "I'd rather not talk about it. It's rather depressing."

She just became more angry. "If you won't tell me, I'll _make _you."

He suddenly took a stance of defiance. "Oh really? I'd like to see you try."

She let loose a spell and levitated him upside down, a scowl on her face. Steel just facehooved. "I forgot that you're more powerful than me now. Alright fine, if you really want to know, I was getting depressed about my immortality."

I stepped forward and stood right in front of him. "What depresses you about immortality?"

He just looked away, a little sad. "The fact that I'll have to watch most of you grow old and die, while I just keep living."

Twilight suddenly dropped him and her face changed to one of sadness. "Steel..."

He rubbed his head and stood up. "Like I said, it's depressing."

Suddenly the door opened up to reveal a very tired looking cyan pegasus. Her head immediately shot up when she saw Steel, and a look of anger creased the lines of her face.

She flew at him full speed and slammed him into the staircase. "Where have you been? We've been looking all day for you!"

He choked out a response. "Dashie, I'm sorry. Glass...in the skin...you're jamming it in. Please get off!"

She jumped off him in surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry Steel! Fluttershy, get the first aid kit!"

He waved them off with a hoof. "I'll be fine, Dash. Just get me bowl please."

She nodded and rushed to the kitchen, returning with a small bowl. Steel then began the painstaking process of carefully removing a dozen or so shards of glass and dropping the bloody pieces in a bowl. Twilight left the room retching, and I felt a little sick as well, to be honest.

**Perspective change - Steelbreaker**

I grit my teeth with a closed mouth so as to try and mask the amount of pain I was in, especially with Twilight reacting the way she was...again. Thankfully Fluttershy and Dash didn't seem to be affected by it, likely because Fluttershy was a veterinarian and Dash was always getting hurt. After removing the last shard of glass from my leg, I stood up and dumped all the glass shards in the waste bin.

I looked over at Luna with a pleading look. "Lulu, could you clean up the glass on the floor please? I really need to take a shower and get this blood off my coat. I'd really appreciate it."

She nodded and levitated a brush and dustpan and began sweeping up the broken glass on the floor. I headed upstairs to the shower on the second floor and just sat under the water for the longest time, the perverted part of my mind frantically trying to replay what I saw in this very shower that morning. _'No, stop it! Not now!'_ That's when I heard the door open and watched through the blurred shower door to see a light blue blob of color coming towards me. As it got closer, I noticed a mane of many colors. _'Fate...thou art a sick sadistic mistress indeed...'_ I stood up off the shower floor and blocked the door as it opened to show a very concerned mare. I could see as the water ran over my coat, a trail of bloodied water heading towards the two drains.

"Umm Dashie? It's kinda bloody in here...It's not a good idea for you to be in here with me right now."

She just giggled. "Steel, I've been in some bad accidents. Blood doesn't scare me."

I then took a stern look. "Blood by itself isn't all that scary, that's true...however what's in it can be more dangerous. You have to remember, I'm from a different world. The antibodies in my blood might be extremely dangerous to you if they somehow get in your bloodstream."

She just looked at me with a confused gaze. "Antibodies? What are you talking about?"

I just sighed and smiled. "Dash, I know you're worried about me, but my blood could be dangerous to you...it could kill you. Please just wait in the main room for me and I'll be down after I get done cleaning up. Actually, get a bag of some sort that I can put the towel in after I'm done with it. If you'd do that for me, I'd love you forever."

She giggled. "You love me anyway, but fine I'll do it. Don't take too long."

I stepped out of the shower after a few minutes and went about toweling myself off. Once I felt I was sufficiently dry, I dropped the ruined towel in the bag Dash had left me and tied it up, putting it to one corner of the room. I looked underneath the sink to find bleach and a scrub brush and went about cleaning out the shower, so as to protect the others in the household. After I was done, I put everything away and grabbed the bag, heading downstairs. I saw everyone was now sitting in the main room talking, and they all looked at me. I looked up at the window and was pleased to see that somepony had put a tarp over the broken window until we could get it fixed. With that out of the way, I simply walked out of the back door and built a little fire pit. I set the bag in the middle of it and set it on fire. Confident that it would burn all the way through, I went back inside. Fluttershy was waiting with a first aid kit to bandage my wounds, which after explaining the safety issue of my blood, she got to bandaging.

A few minutes later I was sitting on the floor looking like I was half mummy while I explained everything that had happened that day. I decided at least for now it was best to leave Celestia's feelings out, choosing to instead save that for sometime tomorrow. Lyra had walked in during the middle of the conversation, so I reluctantly started over after she was done yelling at me. Thankfully after everyone was briefed on the situation, Spike made dinner...which was good because I was _starving_.

As we sat down for dinner, Mason and Moonfang walked in the door. I stood up and walked up to them both, sighing. "If you guys are going to hit me for worrying you, please just get it over with. I'm hungry." My brother, as expected, took the invitation and landed a strong punch to my shoulder. _'Bastard just _had _to hit the one that is already bruised...' _Moonfang just looked at me and chuckled. We all sat down at the reading table and enjoyed another great meal prepared by Spike...man, that guy can cook.

We finished the lovely dinner of roasted carrots and leeks with baked potatoes and a gravy made from some kind of root. _'Ugh...I need to stop eating like this all the time or I'm going to be a fat pony.' _We cleaned up the room quickly and all went our separate ways. Lyra had things to do tonight with Vinyl and Bon Bon, so she said goodbye to all of us and left. Dash unfortunately also had some sort of weather meeting early tomorrow morning in Cloudsdale, so she left as well. This just left Twilight, Luna, and Pinkie downstairs enjoying some pineapple and coconut smoothies I had made, with some help from Spike. _'Mmm...Smoothie King ain't got nothin' on this.' _Luna quickly raised the moon, and we talked about the whole me becoming a prince thing. Needless to say Twilight was ecstatic.

"A prince! Ooh...all the fillies from school would be so jealous if they saw me now..." she said with a smirk.

I just laughed and winked at her. "Well Twi, glad I can be your revenge against your school years. What about you, Luna? What do you think?"

The lunar goddess simply smiled at me. "Well Steel, I love the idea. I always thought of you as a sort of prince, this will just make it official. Pinkie? What are your thoughts?"

The cute pink mare took a sip of her sweet drink and smiled. "I love it! Steelie's gonna be a prince? That's sooo cool! I can't wait to tell Gummy!"

We just smiled and nodded, unsure of what to say. I swear sometimes that little mare is so hard to figure out. She always has a way to make us laugh though, so we love her all the same. After finishing our drinks and having a few laughs, Pinkie left as well, saying she had a party to plan for a pony in town. We all gave her heartfelt hugs and said goodbye, the room being much quieter with her gone. By now it was well after 8:00, so we headed upstairs to clean up and such. Having already taken a shower, I just brushed my teeth and went up to the bedroom. I stood out on the small balcony, admiring the stars. After over a week of rest, I felt strong enough to cast my aurora spell. I cast it the same way I did last time and released it into the air, letting it go much higher than I did last time. I allowed it to explode high in the sky, high enough for anypony within one hundred miles to see it. After finishing the spell, I felt myself feel a little weakened, but I was glad I could notice myself slowly getting better with magic. Since my magic power had been radically reduced, I had noticed that my eyes at first were back to normal, but with the practice I'd been doing, they were slowly recovering the soft golden glow I was now used to.

Hoofsteps behind me confirmed the girls had finished cleaning up, the scent of that lavender shampoo Luna loves so much caressing my nostrils. The both looked into the sky from behind me, and I felt them both lean up against me.

Luna sighed and smiled against my mane. "You should do this every winter night, Steel. In addition to furthering your attunement with your magic, I am sure everypony up at this time of night enjoys it. As a matter of fact, we should make it an event! The winter solstice is coming up, and this would be just the thing to introduce the new Winter Prince. I will ask Pinkie Pie to arrange flyers for the town! Oh this will be wonderful."

I just laughed and turned my head, kissing her on the cheek. "You're rather excited about this, Luna."

She nodded her head. "Oh yes. Equestria has not had an elemental avatar grace its presence for over six thousand years. The last pony to meet one was our father. This is a time for celebration!"

I focused on Frostrender within me. _'You hear that? Celestia wants to make us a prince of winter, with you being the Avatar of Ice and Winter. What do you think about all of this?'_

'_Well Steelbreaker, the last time I was on this plane of existence was over nine thousand years ago, shortly after the first ponies capable of rational thought were created by the gods. I have never been a prince before, but so long as I am allowed to continue doing what I have always done, I see no harm in it.'_

'_I don't see how being a prince would prevent one from doing their duty and fulfilling their passion. By the way, I am sure you saw me creating the magical aurora. I hope you don't mind.'_

'_Not at all, Steelbreaker. The aurora is associated with the wintery polar areas of Earth, is it not? So it would make sense to give such a thing to the winter. I enjoy it and it is beautiful, thank you.'_

'_All right then Frostrender. I'm glad you're okay with all this. I don't see any foreseeable problems, but I will make sure that your power and place in winter is preserved.'_

I then turned to Luna and Twilight. "Frostrender seems happy with my aurora I've been making, and he's okay with the whole 'princing' thing as well. I don't know if it matters, but being a prince isn't going to restrict any of his powers over winter, does it?"

Luna shook her head. "As long as he does not attempt to bring about an eternal winter, I see no problems."

I nodded and leaned against her, cradling Twilight with my opposite wing. After a few more minutes of standing in the cold night air, we all stepped inside and lay on the bed. Twilight had recently taken to sleeping in between Luna and I, almost as a child would with her parents. It was a little weird for me at first, considering our relationship with her was definitely _not_ as parents, but I soon got over the notion because of how cute she was and how the bond she shared with Luna was likely to be stronger than her bond with me. I thought it would bother me at first, but then I remembered that she knew Luna before I ever came along, and they both shared so much in common. I'd be lying if I said a pang of jealousy didn't hit me every now and then, but I made sure to force my rational thought into mind to keep me from turning into some kind of jealous ass.

As we lay there, I felt a song came to mind...one my mother used to sing to me as a lullaby. I found myself humming the song, and as I heard a familiar piano riff start, I began to sing softly.

"When I find myself in times of trouble, mother Mary comes to me

Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me

Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be

Whisper words of wisdom, let it be"

I could hear the instruments playing as they normally did...but this time, I could hear familiar voices singing the "oohs". I looked over see Twilight and Luna with eyes closed, singing with me. _'What?'_

"And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree

There will be an answer, let it be

For though they may be parted, there is still a chance that they will see

There will be an answer, let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be

Yeah there will be an answer, let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be

Whisper words of wisdom, let it be"

With the guitar solo break, I looked back over to see Twilight and Luna with eyes still closed, nodding their heads to the music. _'Well good, they like classic rock. There's a lot more I can show them then.'_

"Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be

Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

And when the night is cloudy there is still a light that shines on me

Shine until tomorrow, let it be

I wake up to the sound of music, mother Mary comes to me

Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, yeah, let it be

There will be an answer, let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, yeah, let it be

Whisper words of wisdom, let it be"

As the song ended, they both opened their eyes in confusion. Luna looked over at me first. "What just happened? I...I knew that song. I know I should not, but I did."

Twilight nodded in agreement. "Me too. Was that a song from your world?"

I smiled. "Yep, that's a song by a group called The Beatles...and no Twilight, they weren't actual insects. They were humans just like me, but they had a great talent for music and showmanship. They were and are quite possibly one of the most popular groups of all time in my world. I have to be honest, I'm not sure how I transferred the knowledge of this song to the two of you, but I'm not complaining. Luna, you have quite the lovely singing voice, as do you Twilight."

They both blushed and hugged me. _'I guess it's true, good music really is universal. Heh...universe. I made a funny.' _I hugged both of them back and lay back on the firm pillow. I levitated my mp3 player off of the dresser across the room and turned on my "Chill" playlist and hooked it up to the small speaker on the nightstand beside me, thanks to the auxiliary cable Vinyl gave me. Soft music filled the air as we lay and talked the night away. I wasn't really listening what Twilight and Luna were talking about, but somehow the talking evolved into a cuddle-war between the two, while I just placed my forelegs behind my head and closed my eyes, losing myself to the music. I for some reason thought at that moment to check my player's battery meter, only to find it was showing the thing was charging. _'Must be the ambient magic in the air. Magic is a form of energy, after all.'_ Satisfied I would have my music for however long the life of the player was, I settled back into my pillow, closing my eyes again. I heard giggling from beside me and felt two pairs of lips contact my lips and neck, respectively. I opened my eyes to find Twilight's face in front of mine, so I kissed her back with fervor. She moaned softly and broke the kiss, staring at me.

She smiled and lay down on me, nuzzling into my chest. "Steel, I'm sorry if you've been feeling a little left out lately."

I raised a hoof from behind my head and softly stroked her back. "Left out how? I don't feel left out of anything."

Luna giggled and pressed against my side, reveling in my heat. "Rainbow Dash explained to us what you unwittingly discovered this morning."

My eyes shot open nervously and I blushed a deep crimson. _'Damn it, why couldn't I have red fur?'_

Luna giggled at me again. "Yes, Lyra and Rainbow Dash were worried _that _was the reason you left."

I laughed and shook my head. "No Luna, that most definitely was not the reason. It's just that two mares enjoying a personal moment was not something I was at all prepared to see this morning. I was expecting to brush my teeth and take a quick shower. Instead I see Dash on top of Lyra attacking her like a wild animal. Whether I'm intimate with the both of them or not, I consider it rude for me to watch such a thing without being invited to. Rude and embarrassing. I assure you though, it's just one of my quirks, I don't hold it against either of them."

Twilight nodded against my chest. "That's good, Steel. They were worried it was their fault. You should have heard the shouting war they had."

I laughed again harder. "I'll have to explain it to them tomorrow so they can make up."

Luna leaned in close to my ear. "Still Steel, it's been awhile and I've missed you...we both have."

I looked over at her with confusion. "What do you mean you've missed me? It's not like work keeps me all that busy. I'm here most of the time, so how can you miss me? Oh wait...oh I get it."

She playfully nipped at my ear. "A bit slow tonight, are we?"

I pouted and Twilight just laughed at me. "Sorry Steel, you're not cute enough to pull off the pouty face."

I shrugged my shoulders. "Well it was worth a try. Well at least I have these rugged good looks."

Luna smirked. "I apologize Steel, but you are not very 'rugged' either. If rugged is the word we are using, that describes Darkflight more than it does you."

I just sighed. "Well damn, way to kill all traces of my male ego. Do you want my balls in a mason jar too? I think there's one around here somewhere..."

Twilight laughed at me and then nuzzled into my chest. "I have other words for you. How about handsome?"

Luna nodded. "Or regal?"

Twilight blushed a bit. "Or _sexy?_"

I blushed and chuckled nervously. "Well 'sexy' is not a word I'd use to describe myself, but who am I to argue? I can roll with sexy. And regal? You know heaping all this praise on me is going to give me a big head."

Twilight laughed hard. "You already have a big head."

I just stared at her. "It houses my infinitely sexy brain, thank you very much."

A moment of silence followed before both of them burst out laughing. I just rolled my eyes, pushing them both off of me. "You're lucky I have a very dry sense of humor. Any other pony might have had his feelings hurt."

Luna was struggling to catch her breath. "Come now, Steel...do not be this way. We were only having a bit of fun."

I suddenly placed a mischevious smirk on my face. "Oh...I think I have a different bit of fun I'd like to participate in at the moment." I said as I ran my hoof along Luna's cutie mark, causing her to let out a little squeak.

She responded by doing the same to me. It felt like someone just shot lightning through my body...but in a good way(yes, there is a good way). I growled and rolled her over on her back, me looming above her. She blushed a deep purple against her coat, and I leaned down and began to kiss down her chest...

* * *

About half an hour later, I fell against the bed out of breath. Luna had her eyes closed and was still moaning softly, while Twilight proceeded to fall on top of me, equally out of breath.

Luna just looked at me and smiled. "I am suddenly hoping you advance your magic power even faster."

I regained my breath and smiled back. "Yeah...me too. I kinda wish I had fingers again sometimes, but I guess magic makes up for it. How you doin' there, Twi?"

The lavender unicorn looked up at me and smiled weakly. "I'll be fine, Steel. I'm just tired is all. I'm thinking it's about time to go to sleep."

Luna nodded, as did I. I lay down Twilight between us, and she threw her hoof around me tightly. Luna proceeded to press herself against Twilight's back, eliciting a small moan from the unicorn and a smile. She then stretched a wing across the both of us before leaning close to plant a goodnight kiss on my lips. I smiled and returned it before turning my gaze towards the ceiling.

* * *

Only about twenty minutes had passed, but I could hear a duet of soft breathing beside me. Once again I found myself laying awake with nothing but my thoughts as company. My mind was drifting between my talk with Celestia, as well as what I was going to do for Luna's birthday, which was fast approaching in a few weeks. I had come to find that lately things have been going pretty smoothly around here. I tried not to think about it, but I had a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that this calm was only temporary. Maybe that's what has been keeping me awake at night. I brushed the thought off once again and closed my eyes, eventually slipping into what would be an interesting dream.


	18. Ch 16: The Call of the Elements

**A/N: Hey everypony, we're back! Got another great chapter coming at ya! Some heavy stuff in this chapter, so I'm confident you all will enjoy it. As always though, R&R at let us know what you think.**

**To JB - Well I would not wish to name **_**your **_**OC, that would then make it my character in a way. Sounds like a good possible OC though, keep working on it.**

**To Guest - Yes, being immortal can suck if you look at it the wrong way, but I believe Steelbreaker is taking it all in stride now. Something tells me he'll be okay. **_**As far as being on Earth, I feel ya man. That place sucked. Keep your chin up, man. Maybe you'll soon get a visit from someone special...**_

**To Ausarheart - Sounds like the making of a good OC though, but I'd need more to work with...like personality, a past, mannerisms...that sort of thing. Keep working on it though, I think you could have something nice there.**

_**And so it continues...**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters associated with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, nor the original story.**

* * *

Chapter 16: The Call of the Elements

**Perspective change - Rainbow Dash**

Boring...boring...boring...boring. That's all it was. This meeting that I had to be in Cloudsdale for so early in the morning ended up basically being a training course for rookies. That meant that I had to spend the next six hours training a bunch of clumsy, unfocused, foalish, pegusi. My patience was quickly wearing thin for most of them. Half of them kept trying to flirt with me, while the other half kept wanting autographs. _'What the hay, I'm not even a Wonderbolt yet!'_

Surprisingly the only pony not acting out of line was Scootaloo, who was now strong enough and old enough for the training program. I first met the little filly in the "Big Sister" program that I took during flight school. She got on my nerves at first, but over a few weeks she started to grow on me. She always loved to hear about my stories and watch my tricks, and practically worshiped the air I flew through. After she got over being starstruck, I couldn't help but get closer to her. After two years, I considered her family. Blood couldn't make us closer.

The little filly immediately recognized me and let loose a smile as bright as Celestia's sun. "Rainbow Dash!" she screamed as she flew towards me. Yes...she _flew_. Words can't describe how proud of her I was.

I caught her in the air and hugged her tight. She was one of the few ponies I actually felt comfortable displaying affection with. Hey, a mare has to keep up her reputation, right? "Hiya kiddo! Wow, you got big!"

She giggled and hugged me back, her mane tickling my nose. It had been almost a month since I last saw her, and I began to notice just how much can change in such a short time for a filly her age. She was already double her size this same time last year, and the fact she could fly now showed just how much had happened. She released me and stared at me with those big violet eyes. _'Argh! Cute overload!'_

I couldn't help but be lazy, so I just put the rest of the recruits through rotating training drills while I caught up with Scoots. She was eight years old now and just as lively as ever. While talking to her, I began to realize exactly why I found it so easy to bond with her. When it came right down to it, we were a lot alike.

* * *

Because both of us grew up without parents, we both acted nearly the same way about certain things. Through some therapy that Shy practically _forced _me to take(hey, you don't know her...she can be _very_ persuasive), I had gotten over a lot of my issues. Scoots reminded me of how I used to be: guarded. She put up the same tough-pony front that I used to, afraid to let anypony in. Besides her friends Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, I was probably the only other pony to actually know the _real _her. I'm also the _only _pony she's ever cried in front of. It tore me up inside to know how much she held inside, but I let it go when I realized I was the same way at one time. She'll be okay, she'll just need help. It used to scare me a little just how close I had allowed myself to get to her, but it also felt good.

I remember the day I had confided in AJ about it, and for some reason I just broke down and cried. I made her swear never to tell anypony, but after that I realized that it was okay. I loved the little squirt like a sister, and I know she felt similar about me. I remember telling Shy about it and she just smiled and hugged me...and I cried again. _'Darn that mare...she always brings out the worst in me...or the best depending on how you look at it.'_

* * *

I had accidentally fallen asleep next to Scoots while off in my own little world. I woke up to her shaking me with a worried eye. "Rainbow Dash, wake up! We're supposed to be training! I'm gonna get in trouble!"

I just laughed and nodded. "Alright squirt, you're right. I want fifty wing-ups. Go!" I said, and she dropped to the ground and started the pegasus-modified workout. I remember catching flak one time for working her so hard, but the trainer was surprised when she did everything I said successfully and without question. I then yelled at the colt for not trusting me and for doubting her...while Scootaloo just giggled.

I lowered myself to eye level when I noticed she was straining. "C'mon Scoots, you got just five more!"

She shook her head, tears in her eyes. "I can't do it!"

I snorted in mock annoyance. "Can't? CAN'T? What did I say about that word? When you're training, you aren't allowed to even say 'can't'!"

She closed her eyes and I could see her face turning red. "B-but..."

I cut her off. "No Scoots, you can do this! I know you can! Come on, just four more and you got it! I believe in you, so believe in yourself!"

I couldn't help but let loose a small smile when I saw a spark of determination suddenly wash over her face. She grit her teeth and powered through. She still considered me a hero somewhat, so I knew that voicing my belief in her would give her the confidence she needed. She finished the last one, nearly collapsing before catching herself with her forelegs. She looked up at me and I pointed at the track going around the outside of the training grounds. "Alright Scoots, you're going to flap your wings to make you run faster. I want you to keep up with me. Readyset...Go!" and with that I took off, the young pegasus following closely.

We had made twelve laps around the track before I noticed that all of the other trainees under my watch were sitting there staring at us. I motioned for them to join us and they all flew over to the track and followed suit. I continued around the track until all but Scoots had collapsed with exhaustion. I could tell she wanted to, but she wouldn't let herself in front of me. I stopped her and made her sit down, giving her a water bottle. "You did great Scoots. I'm proud of you."

She looked up at me with a tired, but radiant smile. She took a couple swigs of water and lay down on the bench, nearly instantly falling asleep.

I spent the rest of my day teaching all the ponies about flight technique, safety, and all that kind of stuff. To put it simply, boring with a side of boring sprinkled with boring sprinkles flavored with...more boring. I almost lost half of the group as they fell asleep, but luckily the coach came and told us the training day was over for now. _'Thank Celestia...' _With the day ended for us, I flew back to Ponyville with a certain orange filly in tow.

We arrived back in town with the sun high in the sky. It must've been only about noon so I decided to treat myself and my companion to some lunch at Sugarcube Corner.

* * *

**Perspective change - Pinkie Pie**

"Order 112 up!" I yelled from the counter, ringing a bell. A bright blue stallion grabbed the bag at the counter and smiled before leaving. "Thanks a lot, mister! Enjoy!" He smiled and nodded before walking around the line of ponies and out the door.

Winter was always a busy time for us at Sugarcube Corner, but I didn't mind. It just meant more profit for the Cakes and more fun for me! Something about the winter season made ponies want to get some warm baked treats. There wasn't a pony in town that could resist my cupcakes, and we always made a killing.

I was all smiles around my surrogate family nowadays. I was afraid of how they would judge me after revealing my true feelings to them like I did to Steel, but they were instead very understanding. I shouldn't have worried...Steel had been right. After letting on how I really felt sometimes, even Mr and Mrs Cake seemed to get closer to me, and I to them. This was a big relief to me, and I was happier than I'd ever been. Truly happy...not just faking.

After the morning rush, things calmed down a bit around lunch time, with our regulars trickling in here and there. Seeing as how we had some down-time, I grabbed a brush and dustpan in my teeth and started sweeping up the kitchen, getting the flour and bits of sprinkles and frosting off of the floor to prepare for the rush that would no doubt come right before dinner time.

"Pinkie, Rainbow Dash is here to see you!" said Mrs Cake from the front. I left the dustpan on the counter and took off my apron, hanging it on the wall before bouncing out the door to the kitchen, in what my friends referred to as "true Pinkie Pie style". I turned the corner to see Dashie and her friend Scootaloo at the counter.

I smiled and tackled Dashie to the ground with a big hug, much to Scootaloo's amusement. "Oh Dashie, I'm so happy to see you! It's been...almost a whole day! *GASP* You didn't eat breakfast did you?" I said while stepping off of her.

Dashie shook her head and smiled. "Nah, Scootaloo and I have been training all morning. What's fresh Pinkie?"

I sped off to the kitchen, quickly grabbing a tray of cupcakes that just finished baking. Quick as lightning, I slapped rainbow frosting on all but two of them with blue sprinkles on. The last two I made with orange frosting and purple sprinkles. I placed them on a cool tray and sped back out to meet Dashie with the fresh food. She had a look of shock that always made me giggle. _'That never gets old.'_

Dashie closed her mouth and smirked. "I'll never figure out how you do that Pinkie."

I placed a hoof on my chin in mock thought. "Nope, probably not." I looked over at Scootaloo and pointed to the two 'special' ones I made. "Those are for you, Scootaloo. Buttercream frosting with a pudding center, just the way you like it."

The little filly's eyes lit up and she smiled. "Ah, so cool! Thanks Pinkie!" She then took a big bite and her eyes rolled back in her head and she let out a very..._racy _sounding moan. _'This filly's going to be trouble when she starts dating colts...I can just tell already.'_

Dashie nearly spit out her cupcake and blushed. "Wow Scoots...I don't know if they're _that _good." Scootaloo then offered a bite of the cupcake to her, which she took. She had much the same reaction. When she gathered her composure she smiled sheepishly. "I stand corrected...they _are _that good."

I stared at them with mock shock. "Of course they are! You were expecting them to be bad? *GASP* Well fine then...no special present for you later, Dashie."

She gasped as well. "But that's not fair, I was just kidding, Pinkie! Wait...what special present?"

"Why the present I couldn't give you because we all had to leave last night." I was trying to hint in a way that the filly standing with us wouldn't know what I was talking about. Dashie still looked confused. I grew a mischevious grin and drew up right next to her ear, whispering very softly. "Well Dashie, it involves you, me, Steelie, ice, and some whipped cream."

I giggled when her face turned bright pink and I could see her struggling to keep her wings from popping up in excitement. The little orange pegasus just stared at us both with a thankfully very confused face.

We all finished up lunch and I cleaned up the bakery one last time before Mr Cake told me I could leave with my friends. I gave him and Mrs Cake a hug and bounced out the door with Dashie and Scootaloo. We walked Scootaloo to the Ponyville orphanage where Dashie hugged her and said goodbye. We then walked towards the library which was on the other side of town, finally giving Dashie and I a chance to talk alone.

She bumped up against my flank and smirked. "So what was all that at the bakery? I liked it, but it was just surprising. I guess I'm just wondering where that came from."

I looked down in embarrassment. "Well Dashie, I kinda used to have a big crush on you."

She looked at me not with shock or disgust, but with amusement. This made me feel more confident. "Oh really? Wait...what do you mean _used _to?"

I giggled. "Well I guess I got over it is all. I mean let's face it Dashie, you weren't the most approachable mare."

She rubbed the back of her head a little ashamed. "Yeah, I was kind of a foal sometimes. Sorry. That still doesn't answer the question why you didn't tell me, though. Why didn't you?"

I just stared at her. "Really Dash? That's kind of the idea of having a crush...not telling the pony you like them. That and the fact that we weren't exactly the closest of friends until about a month before Steel came here. I mean, you're way closer with Fluttershy than you and I have ever been. In fact, I'm surprised you didn't end up with her."

She blushed and waved a hoof off dismissively. "No Pinkie, it's not like that. I mean I love Shy to death, but she's not my type. That and the fact I don't think she likes mares that way. As far as you and I not being the best of friends, that's kinda my fault." she finished with a frown, looking at the ground.

I hugged her. "Dashie I already told you it was my fault. You weren't the pony hiding how she felt, I was. You were as good a friend as you could have been."

She pulled away and smiled. "Well I'm glad one of us forgives me. Well if I can ask, what do you think about Steel?"

I had to think on this one. Steel was the only pony who seemed to notice I was faking smiles at that picnic so long ago. Those piercing eyes of his seemed to stare right into my soul. I remember at first I thought of him as an older brother. He was just so safe...

"Well Dashie, I mean, I really like him a lot. You all saw how I acted at the hospital. I certainly didn't do that just because he was nice to me."

She stopped and sat on her haunches outside the library. "Yeah, I know what you mean Pinks. I mean Gilda kinda killed relationships for me." She visibly shuddered when she said the name. "When I met Steel though, it was different. I mean granted I was drunk when he first kissed me, but there was something...else. As much as it bothers me sometimes, he can read me like a book. He cares how I feel though, and that's more than most of the colts and stallions around here. It's stupid how many times I get offers for a roll in the hay, sometimes from ponies I've never even met before."

I giggled and blushed. "Well Dashie, you're really pretty. I know you don't think you are, but _I _think you are."

She just blushed and shoved me playfully. "Well thanks Pinks. I don't know though, it's like Steel doesn't really even care about that. I'll have to ask him about it later."

We both finally opened the doors and walked inside the warm library, a warm fire burning while Twilight and Spike were studying. Wow...Spikey had gotten big. I walked over to the both of them and waved with a smile. They both acknowledged with a nod and a smile before getting back to whatever they were doing. I dropped a box of the cupcakes I had carried on the table, and Spikes eyes lit up and he smiled.

"Ah cool! Thanks Pinkie, I love your cupcakes." he said.

I just nodded and headed upstairs to wait for Steel to get back.

* * *

**Perspective change - Steelbreaker**

"Ugh...you two need to be faster. Again!" I said to the two guard recruits laying in front of me. They quickly got to their hooves and got into a ready position. "Alright, now _pay attention_. Watch my shoulders, thighs, and wingtips. Do it correctly, and you'll be able to get out of the way before I can hit you. I'm going full force this time, so you better keep on your toes." I stood up on my hind legs, now towering over both of them. I smiled evilly, both of them faltering and taking a step back. _'Big mistake...'_ I flared my wings and bolted towards them. The colt took my elbow to the side of his head. He crumpled on the ground, out cold. The mare looked at me with fear in her eyes and tried to fly away. I jumped and got a hold of her back hooves, slamming her to the dirt. I scrambled on top of her and wrapped my foreleg around her neck, squeezing.

She started to struggle, so I leaned down to her ear and whispered, "don't panic...there's always a way out." I said this while still applying pressure on her throat. Before she could pass out, she planted her front hooves and slammed the back of her head into my nose. I saw stars for a second before regaining focus, and the next thing I knew I was on the ground. The young mare started to walk away triumphantly, her peers cheering for her. I grinned and quickly got behind her, pinning her on her back and forcing my sharpened horn against her throat, drawing a small trickle of blood. Her breathing rate increased and she started to whimper. I then backed off and stood up, looking at her. "Your job in a battle is to disable or capture the enemy. Never turn your back on an enemy that can still fight." I said while pointing at her comrade, who was still unconscious.

I looked over to Shining Armor and he nodded. "Hey Steel, think I can get in on this?"

I nodded back. "Sure Shining. Show these recruits how it's done. You wanna go half or full?"

He smirked. "I think I'll be fine going full force. Ready?"

I nodded. I stood on four hooves this time, knowing this opponent would use two-point stance to my disadvantage. Shining Armor's horn began to glow and then he just disappeared. I knew this illusionary spell...he was very fond of it, and used it our last bout to kick my ass. This time I was ready though. I focused on Frostrender's power and charged the spell in my horn, then letting the aura move to my front hooves. I reared up and slammed them both into the ground, causing the ground around me to freeze solid. Clearly not expecting this, Shining Armor lost his concentration and reappeared behind me, now frozen to the ground. He grinned and cast his powerful barrier spell, instantly breaking the ice around him and freeing him. I nodded. "Nicely done Shining, but I do hope you didn't think that's the only trick I had up my sleeve." I casually strode up to him still smiling, and placed my horn against his barrier. I focused on the new spell I had recently mastered and proceeded to drain the magic out of the barrier. The spell faltered and dropped.

He just smiled. "Alright then, looks like you've got me beat in magic...but how's your physical attacks?" He then rushed at me, horn down.

I jumped out of the way and was preparing to make a smug remark only to be stopped by a strong kick to my jaw. I stumbled back and felt myself get tackled to the ground, hooves raining strikes on my face. I felt my consciousness waver for a moment before I gathered my senses, curling my back legs up and around his neck, slamming him to the ground near my hind legs. I kept the pressure on his neck and grabbed his rear leg with my hooves, roughly yanking the limb with a loud *pop*, forcing it out of the socket. He let out a sharp hiss of pain only to slam his free forelegs against my ankles. There was a loud snapping sound and a horrendous amount of pain that actually brought tears to my eyes. He jumped up with a limp and a strained face before twisting his leg with another *pop*, forcing the joint back into place. Before I could get up he rushed me again. I tried to use my freeze spell again, but he jumped over it. He was in the air, clearly planning to slam his hooves into my face. I stretched out my wings and flapped as hard as I could, blasting him into the air. He quickly caught himself and teleported right in front of me as I was standing up. Before I could react he planted a buck right in my chest, knocking the wind out of me. I scrambled to get up and cast a new improvised spell at him. He couldn't get out of the way fast enough and was hit.

The spell appeared to have no effect and he smiled. "Game over Steel." He charged up a spell in his horn and I smiled. He attempted to let go what I assumed was to be a knockout spell, because he instantly fell down, unconscious.

I let out a sigh of relief and cast a healing spell Luna had taught me, fixing my damaged ankle. I limped to the recruits who had watched the fight and nodded. "Remember, your enemy is not going to let up until they defeat you...and more than likely, he or she is not going to play fair. In my training, you're not going to learn how to fight fair, you're going to learn how to win by any means necessary. This means get sneaky, get devious, take cheap shots, use the environment to your advantage. If war should ever come to Equestria again, you will be putting your life on the line. If you don't win, you die." They all nodded slowly before looking at the fallen captain. I walked over to him and nudged him a bit, waking him up.

"Huh? Wh-what happened? Wait...what the buck happened? That spell should've taken you out." he said with frustration.

I just chuckled and extended a hoof, pulling him up. "Yeah, I cast a new spell I thought of on you. Basically it's a magical feedback spell. It takes the next spell you cast, and turns it against you. Easy to dispel, but if you don't know what it is, it can spell trouble for you. Haha...spell...see what I did there?"

He just smiled and turned to the recruits as well. "Let that be a lesson to you all. It doesn't matter if your enemy is stronger or faster than you, there's always a way to win. Your mind is the most formidable force you have in a fight. Train it...use it."

I nodded and smiled as well. "Alright recruits, dismissed!" The group started to disperse, leaving just the mare and colt I had fought earlier. I noticed the mare was still bleeding slightly, so I went over to my saddlebags and grabbed some gauze and rubbing alcohol, passing it to her. "Clean yourself up, private." She nodded and took off her helmet, beginning to rub the alcohol on her neck. I now got a good look at her. She was a gray pegasus with blonde hair and golden eyes. _'Wait a minute...I know who this is.'_

I stepped forward and motioned to her. "What's your name, private?"

She stood up straight and saluted me. "The name is Ditzy Doo, sir."

I raised an eyebrow. "The mailmare?"

She shook her head. "No sir, that's my twin sister. Her name's Derpy, sir."

'_Hmm...so they really _are _two different ponies...' _"Ah, well I apologize if I offended, private Doo." I said apologetically.

She smiled and relaxed a bit. "Not at all sir, we _are _twins after all. Only differences are our cutie marks and our eyes. Hers are a little...off." She instantly became defensive and glared at me. "You're not going to make fun of my sister now, are you?"

I smiled and shook my head. "Not at all, private. I'm stern as a drill sergeant, but I am far from mean-spirited. I have my own things to be self-conscious about." I turned to Shining Armor, who was still standing next to the young colt, who was starting to come to. "Hey Captain, keep an eye on the recruit if you could. Same time next week?"

He nodded. "Yep. I'll see you here Steel. You better bring some new tricks...I'll be ready for a rematch."

I chuckled and nodded. "Alright then, I'll be ready."

Ditzy removed the rest of her armor and sat down on the soft grass. "So sarge, you said you have some things you're self conscious about. Care to share?"

I chuckled. "Ditzy we're not training anymore. Just call me Steelbreaker or Steel when we're being casual. As far as the things I spoke of, they're kind of personal. I hope you don't take offense, but I wouldn't be comfortable telling you until I got to know you better and trusted you."

She nodded with a smile. "Okay fair enough, Steelbreaker. So where are you from?"

"Far away, that's all I can safely say, Ditzy." I stated with a straight face.

She smirked. "Ooh, mysterious. I'm getting more and more interested. So what _can _you tell me?"

I placed a hoof to my chin in thought. "Well, I can tell you I live at the library in Ponyville. I have a brother, a sister, and my mother. I'm friends with Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, Big Macintosh, Lyra, Vinyl Scratch, and the two princesses. I am an alicorn, as you can see, but not royalty."

Her eyes were wide. "Wow...that's a lot of friends. Oh wait a minute, were you that stallion that introduced us to that dragon about a month ago?"

I nodded. "Darkflight. Yep, that was me."

She smiled for a moment before her eyes went wide again. "Wait a minute, did you also say you're friends with the princesses? As in Princess Luna and Princess Celestia?"

I nodded again. "Yes I did."

She seemed almost starstruck. "Wow...I was hoping I'd get to meet you! I don't know how I didn't recognize you. Derpy's gonna _freak _when I tell her who I met!" She let out a little fangirl squeal that I couldn't help but laugh at.

We spent about another hour talking about random stuff until Celestia came running into the courtyard.

She looked very panicked and this in turn nearly caused me to panic. "Steel! I need you in the throne room right now!"

I nodded and turned to Ditzy. "Well it's been fun, Ditzy. Keep in touch, you know where to find me." She nodded and I followed Celly to the throne room.

When I arrived, I saw that there were a lot of ponies in there. All of the Elements were gathered, as were Luna, Shining Armor, and a few ponies I didn't recognize. Celestia had a grave look on her face, which frightened me. I had never seen such a look of seriousness and fear in her eyes before.

She cleared her throat and stood. "Thank you all for coming. I apologize for the short notice, but something has come up. There is no easy way to state this, so I will just speak plainly: the Gryphon Kingdom of Highmount has declared war on Equestria."

I stepped forward, instantly taking a serious demeanor. "On what grounds, princess?"

She looked at me sadly before continuing. "I am sure all of you here have heard of the ambush upon Miss Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, and Steelbreaker in the Everfree forest...as well as the abduction of Twilight Sparkle shortly thereafter. The king of Highmount has claimed that because we have taken the offenders prisoner, we have already declared war on his territory. Anypony who knows what has happened knows this accusation is completely absurd, but it does not change the fact that war is now looming on Equestria's horizon...for the first time in nearly a millennium." She then turned to me. "Steelbreaker, because of where you are from, you have more experience with war than even I do. We will need your assistance."

I nodded. "Of course, princess. I would protect my loved ones by any means. That extends to our home as well. I am yours."

She nodded and continued. "To everypony here, I will not lie to you...war is not pretty. It is a nightmare. The enemy we fight will not be as Discord or Nightmare Moon," Luna winced at that comment, "this enemy is out to kill. The gryphons are famous for their warriors...and they do not take prisoners." She took a breath. "With that knowledge given, I ask you to pass it to everypony you know. This is your home as well, and so if you wish to join the fight, I open enlistment into the reformed Equestrian Military. Both stallions and mares are welcome. You will be trained by sergeant Steelbreaker and captain Shining Armor. I ask that every able-bodied pony enlist so that we may protect our home. Please do not take the decision to join the military lightly...you may lose your life in this war. Thank you all for coming, you are dismissed."

The ponies began to filter out of the throne room, leaving just the Elements, myself, and the princesses. I felt a voice from inside me.

_'Steelbreaker, I must speak to the princesses.'_

_'It's not that I don't trust you, Frost, but why?'_

_'It is concerning the war. If they are trained correctly, they can help us.'_

_'I don't think it is a good idea for Celestia and Luna to be in this war, Frost.'_

_'Steel, you know we will need all the help we can get. Besides, it will not be the princesses who are fighting.'_

I sighed. _'Very well...I trust you Frost. Control is yours.'_

With that I focused on feelings of anger...of hate...of pain. I felt the familiar feeling of ice under my skin, and I felt the transformation take hold...

* * *

**Perspective change - Frostrender**

We opened our eyes to see all the ponies in the room staring at us, the ones who have yet to meet me having slack jaws.

We smiled and strode to the solar princess and bowed slightly. "Hello again, Princess Celestia. As always, it is an honor."

She showed a look of confusion, but smiled nonetheless. "Hello Frostrender, it is good to meet you again. To what do we owe the pleasure?"

We lifted our head and stood, looking the princesses over. "We must train you for the war, princesses."

All of the Element bearers stared at us in shock. The violet unicorn being the only pony to speak up. "Umm...Frostrender? I don't think it's a good idea for our rulers to be fighting in a war."

We shook our head. "Fear not young one, the princesses themselves will not be in the battle. It will be their avatars instead."

Princess Luna stepped forward, stopping in front of us. "Our avatars? I do not think I understand..."

We sighed and looked them over again before turning to Princess Celestia. "I am the avatar of ice and winter. An alicorn is the only Equestrian being that is able to house an elemental avatar. Both yourself and your sister house elemental avatars. All of the ponies in this room save for Steelbreaker have met Princess Luna's already."

All of the ponies in the room eyed us with confusion until the lunar princess turned to me with a look of shock. "No...you are speaking of Nightmare Moon!"

We nodded. "Yes we are, dear one. Nightmare Moon is the elemental avatar of darkness. Trained properly, you will be able to call upon her power without losing yourself, as Steelbreaker is able to call upon me."

The princess of night began crying. "No...I am sorry everypony, but I cannot do it. I will not allow that monster to be free again..."

We strode forth to her and placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder. She looked us in the eyes and we smiled. "Princess, we understand you are afraid, but if you follow our teachings, you will be in complete control...and the nightmares that plague you when you sleep will also cease to be." She looked at us with utter shock and we smiled warmly. "Yes princess...we know of the horrors that follow you into the realm of dreams."

She still shook her head. "I...I cannot...I am sorry."

We turned to Princess Celestia. "Princess? Take the Elements under your wing and back away. Once at a safe distance focus and cast the most powerful sustainable barrier that you can." She stared at us, very confused. We rolled our eyes. "Please do not question us princess. Do as we say." I stated in a firm tone. She nodded and took the young ponies a distance away before casting her spell. I then turned back to Luna, who had a very confused look on her face.

I sighed and closed my eyes. _'Gods watch over us for what we are about to do.'_ I opened my eyes with a fierce expression. "So Luna, you would let your loved ones die instead?"

She looked at us with more confusion and sadness. "What? No, w-we..."

I waved a hoof dismissively. "No excuses, Luna. You have chosen to abandon your friends. You were right in thinking you did not deserve to be with such loving ponies."

She began to cry, and I could feel Steelbreaker within me. _'I hope for your sake you know what you're doing, Frost.'_

_'Please trust me, Steelbreaker.'_

'_*sigh* Very well, Frost. If you are trying to get her to break, speak of the pony's love of the sun. The last time she transformed, jealousy became hate, which is what set her off.'_

We looked back at the young blue alicorn. "I have always thought your night was very..._plain_. It is no wonder so many ponies sleep through it. Your sister does a much better job with her part of the day."

We noticed her eye twitch and her sadness changed to anger. She clenched her teeth and glared at us. "Tread carefully, knave. Thy next words may be thy last."

I laughed, which only infuriated her more. "Oh, is little Luna getting a wittle angwy? Well too bad. I've always loved the sun, your night is such a waste. It should be day all the time."

That did it. We felt something within her snap, and began to feel the magic being drawn into her. A dark cloud formed around her, shrouding her in darkness for a moment. The figure grew as tall as us and turned from the lovely midnight blue to black. The cloud dissipated, and before us stood a tall black alicorn with a flowing mane and tail that resembled a starry night sky. It wore a helmet and chest armor. The eyes opened showing an icy blue to rival my own.

The pony laughed. "Ah, it is good to be back. Who do I have to thank fo-" she stopped as she looked at us. "N-no...this is not possible. How?"

We simply smiled and bowed. "Why hello Nightmare Moon, it is a pleasure to meet the avatar of darkness again after so long. Did you miss me Nighty?"

She snorted. "Don't call me that. What is the meaning of this?"

Our expression changed to a serious one. "Avatar of darkness, you have been called forth at our behest. War looms on Equestria's horizon, and your help is required. The avatar of winter has summoned you. What is your reply?"

She looked at us stunned. "We are at war? With what nation?"

Celestia finally spoke up from far behind us. "The gryphons of Highmount."

Nightmare Moon's gaze quickly shot to the princess. "Silence, we did not ask you!"

We stomped a hoof in frustration. "ENOUGH! Her avatar is to be awakened as well. You will both assist in the war...or be banished to the space between universes."

She flinched at this. "You wouldn't dare."

I glared at her, unflinching. "Would you care to try us? Do not test our patience. If we find you to be of no use or a danger, we shall cast you out ourselves."

The black alicorn was cowed and lowered her head with a sigh. "Very well...what would you have us do?"

We smiled. "First, you will relinquish control to Luna. You will take your rightful place as an avatar at her side, not above her. Also, you will cease to invade her dreams."

She looked annoyed, but nodded in agreement. "Fine...is there anything else?"

I shook my head. "That is all at the moment. You may go until Luna chooses to call you again. Thank you Nightmare Moon...truly."

The alicorn then showed something none of the others in the room ever expected...a non-malicious smile. "I never believed I would say this, but you are welcome. We will speak again later."

With that a bright flash of light filled the room. The light died down to reveal an unconscious Princess Luna. Princess Celestia rushed over to her with tears in her eyes.

Twilight Sparkle approached and stood at my side. "You know," she started, "I always thought Nightmare Moon was evil. Can we trust her?"

We nodded. "Yes, we can. Nightmare Moon is not evil young one...merely greedy. Luna did not have the power to control her, and so Nightmare Moon used Luna's body, completely taking over. Nightmare Moon now has a purpose again, and with training Luna will be able to keep the avatar under control...though at least for the time being I do not believe such control will be needed."

I then sighed and released control of our body, leaving Steelbreaker unconscious.


	19. Ch 17: The New Prince

**A/N: Steelbreaker and Drew here with another chapter! This chapter is shorter than usual by about half, but it's because it's only tying up some things. Hope you enjoy! As always R&R.**

**To dch448 - I think you misunderstand the concept of darkness. Darkness does not necessarily mean "evil". Darkness is calm, and serene. It is merely the absence of light. While it is definitely a formidable force - as displayed by Nightmare Moon's attacks - it does not necessarily need to be. I think you might overestimate it, but maybe that's just me.**

**To Klutzybear - If one doesn't right for fun - for passion - what is the reason? I am certainly not going to write something that I don't have fun with. However, I do take pride in my work all the same. With my job however and the hectic lifestyle I lead, I in all honesty just haven't gotten around to editing the other chapters yet. Appreciate the opinion though, and I'll take it into consideration.**

**To zsd - I always appreciate your reviews, because you have been around since I started this story. With no offense intended though, I often find your writing difficult to decipher. We will attempt to reply as I understand it.**

_**I can definitely respect someone who wishes to protect their loved ones, but please don't needlessly place yourself in harm's way. Can't very well protect anyone if you're dead or maimed. **_**Thank you for the compliment. I wouldn't consider my writing a gift, I just enjoy it. If people like it, awesome. If not, shove it. :D**

**To DeviousHands - Well I'm glad you enjoy the story so far, hopefully you'll keep reading! Steel will not be dying in this story, so no need to worry about that. That is not to say there will not be character death though...*POSSIBLE SPOILER* :P**

**Well well, seems I've gathered quite a few followers. Thank you for reading, and I'm glad you all enjoy. Now...ON WITH THE SAGA!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters associated with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, nor the original story.**

* * *

Chapter 17: The New Prince

Frequent trips to the hospital...again. This time however, it was for Luna. Much as I had, Luna was now in a coma after Nightmare Moon was assimilated into her body. We all visited her every day hoping she would wake up sooner than I had, but it seemed that was not to be. Thankfully everypony was prepared for it this time since I had the same thing happen to me, so even though we worried, there was no crying.

Without her sister, Celestia became lonely, so Twilight and I opted to spend time with her until Luna woke. At first Twilight worried a bit about Spike, but Rarity quickly assured Twi that he would be staying with her at the boutique. I'm sure Spike was pleased. Anyhow, that left us to focus on Celestia. Celly quickly finished the paperwork for me being a prince, and today - the day that Luna was to awaken - I was to be participating in my induction ritual. Even though it was to be a simple process in theory, I was sweating bullets that day. I was in a guest room preparing for what was to come, and I was nervous as all hell.

My brother had forged custom hoof caps and a choker, as well as wing-guards to give myself a more "regal" appearance. I had told him I didn't need them, but Celly convinced me otherwise. I was apprehensive at first at wearing this new regalia, but after seeing it all together, I quickly warmed up to the idea. They were all made of silver, like Luna's, but darker to offset my color. Within the choker were a total of four gems, all yellow sapphires. In the exact center was a magesteel setting, where through some magic from Dark and Celestia, a yellow dragon's flame burned safely and indefinitely. The choker itself was thick, almost like a bit of chest armor, but very light. It was shaped into the depiction of my cutie mark, and enchanted to mimic it perfectly as well as long as I was touching it. I had to admit...this was going to look pretty damn cool. I was finishing putting on my rear hoof caps when Twilight walked in the room.

She eyed me for a moment before smiling. "You look great, Steel. You're going to make a great first impression." She walked closer and smiled seductively. "And if I may say, you make a very _sexy _prince."

I smiled sheepishly and chuckled. "Well Twi, that's good to know that the whole time I'm standing up there every mare is going to be eye-raping me."

She burst out laughing and hugged me. "Don't worry Steel, every stallion and his brother does the same thing to the princesses. It must be part of being royalty."

The door opened again to reveal Luna, a large smile on her face. I couldn't contain myself and nearly tackled her to the ground. "Luna...I am so sorry I could not be there when you woke up, dearheart."

She returned my hug and smiled. "It is alright, Steel. Unlike it was with you, everypony knew I was going to be okay." She then smirked. "However if you still feel bad about it, you can make it up to me later."

I nodded and then looked down at my body...frowning. The incident with me flying through that window had left scars, especially the one on my leg. I sighed. "I swapped out my old scar-ridden body for this one...and now it has scars too."

They both laughed and hugged me. Twilight nuzzled under my chin. "The scars aren't that bad, Steel. They actually look kinda cool. Makes you look like a warrior."

I chuckled. "You know now that you say that, I think you're right. Makes me look hardened. Of course anypony that knows me knows that I am pretty much the exact opposite."

We all shared a laugh for a moment until Brightwing poked his head in the room and smiled. "Steelbreaker, you're due in the throne room. It's time."

I nodded and stood up, following Twilight and Luna out the door. The two mares left on their own, while a large group of smartly-dressed guards escorted me in formation down the hallway. I was nervous, but I had to admit...this was pretty cool. As we rounded the hallways, I could hear Celestia's voice from within the throne room. She was busy introducing me while the guards and I took flight from the northern balcony, planning to land in the throne room just as Celestia said my name. After all, we have to make a good entrance.

"Citizens of Equestria, I present to you Steelbreaker!"

The crowed cheered as we glided into the throne room from the northern gardens. I smiled and bowed my head slightly to the crowd, then took my place beside Celly.

She leaned over to me as the crowd cheered. "Very nice entrance, Steel. Rainbow Dash's idea?"

I nodded. "Well if I'm going to be a prince, might as well make a good first impression."

She smiled and motioned for me to step forward and say my induction speech. I stepped forward to the crowd, trying my best to hide my nerves. I stood tall and smiled. "Greetings everypony, I am Steelbreaker. I have loved Equestria for as long as I've known her. The ponies of this kingdom have captured my heart and soul, and I will protect this land and it's ponies with my life. As a prince of this fine land, I will serve her and her people until death claims me or I am no longer needed. May Equestria grow and prosper under us all, the ponies that live and work within it." The crowd erupted into thunderous applause, so much so I had to restrain myself from placing my hooves on my ears.

Luna smiled and contacted me. _'That was a little...unorthodox, but it worked quite well. You seem to have shown you are a prince of the ponies and for the ponies. I wish I had thought of that for my speech as a filly.'_

I smiled back at Luna before turning to Celly and taking my place in front of her. The Element bearers gathered around me, their Elements being worn. Celestia's horn began to glow with a magenta aura, and the familiar multi-hued magic of the Elements began to surround me in a circle on the floor. I closed my eyes and felt my coat tingling all over, as well as my horn and wings. An immense feeling of comforting warmth enveloped me...

* * *

The tingling stopped and I opened my eyes to notice Celly smiling at me. "It is done, Steel." I then stood beside her and Luna along with the Elements as she turned to the crowd. "Citizens of Equestria, I present to you the first prince of Equestria, Prince Steelbreaker!"

The crowd roared with cheers again and hooves stomping against the floor. I located my mother, brother, and sister standing off to the side and smiled softly at them. My mother was crying as if I had just gotten married, and my brother was... _'Ah dude...slow jerk! So not cool, Mace!' _He stopped and chuckled.

* * *

When the whole thing was finished, the guards escorted everypony out except for our friends and a few of the palace staff. My mother and sister had gushed over their son/brother being a prince, and left soon after. Dark simply patted me on the shoulder, and he left for the steelworks. This left just myself and a few of my friends to talk about what just happened. Twilight was saying "ohmygosh" repeatedly, and Pinkie was bouncing around like...well, like Pinkie.

Luna had walked over to me and smiled. "You did very well, Steel. By the way, you should take a look at yourself. Something very important has changed..." she let her words drift off.

I did as she said and didn't notice anything at first. Coat is still the same, these new scars are still there...but then I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. My mane...it had changed! It was now long and flowing in a nonexistent breeze as Luna's did. It looked to be a smooth gray winter cloud with snowflakes falling out of it...and my tail matched. _'Boss...'_

Somehow during all this commotion my brother and his fellow smiths had brought out and placed a new throne. When I turned around, I saw a truly unique chair to end all chairs. The one chair...to rule them all. It was so metal. Shining silver fashioned simply into a normal throne, but the etchings on the metal itself were of all our friends. The detail was stunning, and the thing was very comfortable. On the back was a diorama depicting myself and Frostrender standing next to each other, beautifully painted and looking epic. By far the most epic of all though? This thing was floating about a foot off the floor on fucking magnets. Yeah that's right, I have a magnetic throne. The Lich King can suck it.

Celestia and Luna turned around to see me sitting on my new throne. Jaws dropped and eyes wide, they both just stared. Celestia looked at me first and smiled. "Well...this is quite the throne. I have never seen one anything like it." She then walked over to Darkflight and placed a hoof upon his shoulder. "Darkflight, you have outdone yourself again. If it is not too much trouble, I would like custom thrones for myself and my sister as well. Would you be willing to do that?"

He just chuckled. "Are you kidding? Yeah it was hard work, but look at that thing. That's the most awesome looking thing I've ever made. My work right there will be remembered far beyond my own life. So when you ask me if I'd make you two new thrones, I have to say that I've already started. Triple the awesome." he finished with a fist pump.

Celestia giggled and smiled. "It is good you have found your passion in life, Darkflight. Something that is not even work for you...you seem to love it."

He smiled. "Yeah. Just wait until you see the new military armor and weapons I'm making. You think that throne is nice? Just wait until you see how great your military looks."

Luna walked over to me as Dark and Celly talked. "Why hello there, Prince Steelbreaker. Ah, that has a nice ring to it."

I just giggled and motioned to her. "You and Celly aren't going to jump me after we leave or something, are you?"

She shrugged. "I have not decided yet. That all depends on how fast you can fly." she said with a strangely scary smile.

I chuckled nervously and stood up, only to be tackled by four ponies of pink, violet, green, and cyan. Kisses and hugs abound, I was having my own heartfelt reunion. With preparing for this ceremony and watching over Celly while Luna was incapacitated, I hadn't had time to see any of the girls. After some more hugs I stood up and they all just looked at me with smiles.

I used to be just a regular human with a shit job and I lived in a world I hated. Now I lived in a world of magic and love. I had the love of my family still, as well as the wonderful mares I have come to care for. I was important. I was wanted and needed. I had never been happier.

End

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Just kidding!


	20. Ch 18: Love Abound and Found

**A/N: Hey everyone, we're back with another über chapter comin' at ya! Seems quite a few of you have already come up with ideas for OC's. I'll be introducing an OC of one of yours within the next few chapters. That being said I'll only be able to fit so many OC's - maybe two or three - before things get so hectic that said OC's never get any "airtime".**

**Some of you may also have noticed I've changed the story type from Friendship/Romance to Adventure/Romance. This is to account for the direction that the story is now going to be taking. Things are going to start heating up as far as action, especially with a war looming in the near future. There will be violence, so be prepared.**

**Also I've made a decision that this story will be ongoing, but will be broken up into several installments. This first one as you know is called "The Lost Element", and will focus on setting the plot for the rest of the story, as well as what will become known as The Gryphon Encroachment. I have not decided what the second installment will be called yet, but I will release an update when I have.**

**To Israeli Pizza - Well I'm glad you enjoy it. I can't say I agree with you on it being **_**the best**_**, but I do have enough pride to say it's better than a lot of the ones I've read. I will be coming up with more installments to this story, as well as other separate fanfics, so stay tuned for more!**

**To Rek135 - Lol, I was hoping I'd get someone with that gag, especially with the last paragraph reading like a wrap-up. Nope, this first installment of my story is not over yet, there is still plenty to go. Anyhow, I'm glad you like it...there's plenty more to come.**

**To Vinyl Beat - As always, I'm glad you like it. I suck at drawing of any kind...I can't even draw stick people. If you want to draw anything that relates directly to my story, you are more than welcome to do so and post it anywhere. I only ask that you give credit.**

**To Geefriend - **_**Yeah, the new mane is pretty epic. I'm definitely digging it, and so is Luna and Celly. As far as that tool Blueblood, he's only a prince in Canterlot. His jurisdiction of nobility only extends to the capitol city of Equestria, no further. From what Celly has told me, my name and status will be known throughout Equestria. Kinda bothers me that there's nowhere in this territory I can go where ponies aren't going to bow to me, but meh...what can you do?**_

**To FireBreath5150 - Well I am happy to have gained another fan. I only hope that my story doesn't keep you up all hours of the day. Or maybe it will...whatever. I've been known to be awake but not alert until around 16:00 every day...and no amount of caffeine helps. Right now for example, I'm writing on my third day without sleep. **_**Luna thinks you guys should get some sleep though. Even she sleeps at night now. **_**Anyhow I'll read and see if I can fit your OC into the story somewhere. **_**Lastly, yeah...Dashie is pretty awesome. You should be jelly, but what's to say there isn't another feisty filly out there for ya? Besides...even though I hate to think about it, life is unpredictable. There is no universal law that says my girls and I will **_**always **_**be together. Painful to think about, but I'm also a realist and I know that shit happens.**_

**To Dark Datum - Yeah...I went there. You're the first one who's voiced that they caught it. Well done, good sir/lady.**

**To zsd - Well nonetheless I'm always glad to have you as a reader/reviewer. And it's all good if you can't review for awhile...shit happens. Anyway, your questions as well as any others' questions to the four chosen for the next interview will be answered this coming Saturday, so be prepared.**

**To Slayerbroman - Well thanks a lot. The next chapter is coming...well...now, actually. Enjoy!**

**To LordChronicler46 - Well now, thanks a lot for the review. I can honestly say it's good to hear from ya again. I **_**am**_** rather inexperienced when it comes to writing, at least compared to some of the "greats" out there. This is only my second story I've written since 10th grade, and the first I've ever let anyone read...so I'm still learning. I will try and work on inquits as I can, since it is obvious you know what you're talking about. Thanks a lot, I appreciate the review.**

**To Ausarheart - Yep, I knew my readers would get a kick out of that ending. Yes I've received your OC info, and thank you for this update. I'll add it to the rest.**

**To dch448 - Nah, it's far from over, but whose to say you'd have to force me? I take passion in my story, so I'm going to make sure it goes until it is complete.**

**To Hunter - **_**Twilight: Oh, um I guess that'd be okay at some point. Not now, but I could definitely see that happening in the future if we're still together. **_

_**Dash: Well...umm...I mean I haven't really thought about it. I mean sure, I guess it'd be cool, but I want to make sure I at least get a place in the Wonderbolts first.**_

_**Pinkie: Oh wowie, I think that would be amazing! I just love taking care of Pumpkin and Pound Cake. I think it would be just super-fantastical-awesome to have a foal of my own one day. Mrs Cake told me I'd be a good mommy.**_

_**Lyra: Well, I'm not really much for the whole mother thing at the moment. I mean I'll keep an open mind, but I'm not really feeling like I want foals at the moment.**_

**Wow that was a lot of reviews just from the last update, but I'm always happy to answer them. Anyways as I said, the next character interview will be coming this Saturday, 07/21. The second interview will feature Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy...so if you have questions, be sure and send them to my inbox. **

**Anyhow, enjoy the story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters associated with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, nor the original story.**

* * *

Chapter 18: Love Abound and Found

After the whole "princing" thing(or whatever it's called), we all headed back to town. Unfortunately for me there was a huge crowd waiting for my arrival to meet the "new" prince. I was pleased when they saw it was me and just smiled. Thankfully most of them already knew how I felt about bowing and such, though a few still did so.

As I walked through the crowd, I heard whispers that I could not decipher, no doubt about me being a prince or if Luna and I were together. I just smiled and continued on to the library.

I walked into the home to find the pleasant aroma of a wonderful cooked meal, smelling faintly of cloves, rosemary, and olive oil. I looked over to see my mother standing next to Big Mac, setting the table. She looked up when she heard the door open and smiled.

"Well it's about time you got here, Drew. We could have used your help with the cooking."

I smiled and sat down, waiting for everyone else to arrive. Twilight, Dash, Pinkie, and Lyra all walked in next, followed by my brother and Applejack. Applejack handed us all bottles of hard cider and joined us in the reading room.

I looked at her and smiled warmly. "Well AJ we can't very well have a celebration without you and your awesome drink, now can we?" She giggled at this and went to talk to her friends.

Dark sat down next to me and we quietly drank while the others talked. Shortly thereafter, Rarity and Spike entered, and we all welcomed the fashionista and the adolescent dragon.

Spike let out a sigh of annoyance and sat down next to me. He grabbed a bottle of hard cider and placed his feet on the table, looking rather exhausted. He just looked at me with half-lidded eyes, yawning. He glared at me and growled, "Steel...Rarity's working me way too hard. I need a drink."

I didn't bother looking at him, and just laughed. "Well Spike, I thought you loved her? Wouldn't you do anything for her? I mean at least now she's interested in you."

He shrugged. "I mean yeah, I'm happy that she's actually looking at me as a dragon instead of a baby. All the same, she seems to be working me even harder now."

I leaned in close and whispered with curiosity, "So, are you two _together _yet?"

He sighed a little sadly and shook his head. "I wish, guys. I mean it's pretty obvious to me that she likes me like that now...I just don't know why she won't take that last step." He opened his eyes and took another swig of his drink and coughed a little. "Wow, this stuff has a kick." He turned to me and shook his head. "I mean for example the other day we were working on a new dress line she's going to promote in Canterlot. She was tired, I was wired, and she was quickly getting frustrated. I forced her out of the boutique to take a walk with me. She'd been working for ten hours straight without sleep, and I knew she needed a break." He took another gulp of the sweet alcohol, not coughing this time. "We walked around the park for awhile, but I could tell she was tense..."

* * *

**Flashback Perspective change - Spike**

We sat down underneath my favorite tree in the park, a ways away from where anypony could see us. Not that I was planning on doing anything bad, but I just wanted things to be calm, and I knew she would appreciate it too.

Rarity sat down somewhat stiffly next to me and let out a frustrated sigh and hung her head. "Spike...I just don't know what to do. I cannot seem to find my inspiration. Ugh...it is so frustrating!"

I placed a hand on her shoulder and she looked over at me. I smiled and winked at her. "Rarity, you're the best designer I know. Well...you're the only designer I know, but still. You've been working yourself to the bone for the past two days...it's no wonder you feel so drained. You need to rest and relax." I scooted behind her and placed my hands on her shoulders, softly massaging. I was worried at first that she would move away, but she stayed and started to relax. I felt the tension in her muscles all around her neck and legs, so I set about working out the knots.

"Mmm...Spike...you're really good at this..." she muttered in between moans, a smile on her face.

I chuckled and explained, "Yeah, Steel and Dark taught me. I knew it would come in handy sooner or later." I gently lay her down on her stomach, and continued rubbing her neck and back. She continued sighing and moaning as I worked her body with my hands. I found it difficult to keep a blush from rising to my cheeks, as this had been a bit of a fantasy of mine for awhile. I couldn't help but inhale the scent of her hair as I rubbed her shoulders - mmm...vanilla.

After about twenty minutes I stopped when I heard the soft rhythmic breathing of her sleeping. Not wanting her to have to lay her head on the ground, I sat against the tree and lay her head on my leg. I sat there stroking her mane and daydreaming about a possible future with the beautiful mare in my lap. I was snatched from my thoughts by a very soft, beautiful voice.

"Spike?" said the pure white unicorn, looking beautiful in the afternoon sun.

I continued stroking her mane and smiled. "Yes Rarity?"

She averted her eyes with a bit of a blush, but then collected herself and look back at me. "Spike, how long have you pined for me? And please don't tell me that you haven't."

I chuckled. "I wasn't going to deny it. Maybe at one point in my life I was a little ashamed of it, but I'm not anymore. To answer your question, it was since the first day I met you."

She blushed, and as I proceeded to massage her scalp, I could feel the heat rising to her face. "Well...that is a long time. That was over four years ago, Spike. How did I affect you so?"

I shrugged. "Well at first, Rarity, it was your beauty. I saw you for the first time when Twi and I came to Ponyville to check on the preparations for the Summer Sun Festival. You were the most beautiful pony I'd ever laid eyes on." She blushed harder and I chuckled. "But all kidding aside, I wasn't in love. I thought I was, but Twi explained it to me later after she found out. I couldn't love somepony I didn't know, so I tried to get to know you better to see if I would feel different. That's why I always wanted to help you and be around you. I had to see for myself if I would feel different when I got to know you."

She nuzzled against the muscles in my leg and I blushed. "Well Spike...did you feel different?"

"Well, I did in a lot of ways. I found out that I really did like _you_, not just your looks. That was until the Grand Galloping Gala when you went to find that Prince Blueblood guy." I felt her shudder at the name, but I continued. "I was...angry. Like _really _angry. I mean in my mind, I was asking myself why you wouldn't go with me. Why wasn't I good enough? After cooling off and thinking about it though, I realized that it was because no matter how I felt about you, I was just a baby. Then I got depressed because I realized that no matter what I did, no matter what I tried, I wasn't going to be good enough." She tried to interrupt me but I stopped her, explaining in a soft voice, "It wasn't your fault Rarity, I was still a baby after all. Dragons mature a lot faster than most things on this world, but even in dragon terms, I was a baby. I can't really blame you for not feeling the same way I feel about you because you're grown, and I'm not. Believe me, I've tried to blame you...but after the anger is gone, I just feel guilty. I can't help who I love Rarity, but I also learned that some things just aren't meant to be."

I could hear her crying softly against my scales. She looked up at me with sadness in her eyes. "Spike, I am so sorry that you feel this way. I am so insensitive."

I cupped her face in my hands and smiled. "Rarity, you're not insensitive. I mean it's not like I exactly came out with it and said, 'Rarity, you're the love of my life'. Besides, the fact still remains that there's a huge age gap. Even in dragon years, I'm still only about eighteen and you're what, twenty-seven? That's nine years by maturity standards."

Rarity had stopped crying by now and was looking up at me with a smile. Without warning she pulled my head down and kissed me. I could have swore I saw fireworks exploding around us, and the world seemed to stand still.

She quickly pulled away and looked away from me. "Spike, I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

I interrupted her by pulling her up to meet me, planting my own kiss against her soft lips. She melted into me and sighed. We continued kissing and I felt her tongue brush against my lips. I did the same for her and she squeaked, before we both opened our mouths and our tongues met. Electricity shot through my body, and I started to question if this was really happening. I casually removed my hand from behind her and pinched myself. Yep...it was real.

We continued for another few minutes before she suddenly pulled away with a look of shock and self-loathing. She let a tear fall before standing up and running away, leaving me very confused against the tree...by myself.

* * *

**Present time - Spike**

"I met her at her boutique the next day, and she acted as if nothing happened. She acted the same she always did when we worked together, but now she wouldn't even look at me. And if you notice, she hasn't looked at me since we came here either." I explained with a sliver of annoyance.

Steelbreaker placed a hoof on his chin in thought for a minute before looking at me with an unreadable face. "Spike, I think I know what's going on. She's ashamed."

I was confused, but asked anyway, "Ashamed? Ashamed of what, of me?"

Steel shook his head and looked at me with the same unreadable expression. "No Spike, she's ashamed of herself. You have to keep in mind that most of the time she's known you, you were and looked like a baby. That's what she knows you as. You were her 'little Spikey-wikey' for the longest time, and now that you're growing into someone she actually has real feelings for, she's confused with herself. On the one hoof, she knows logically that dragons do mature a lot faster than ponies do. On the other hoof, she's watched you grow from a little cute dragon to one that's bigger and stronger...and one she finds herself attracted to. She wouldn't have kissed you if she didn't mean it, Spike...she just feels bad about it because of her own thoughts, not because of you."

I pondered what he said for a moment...and it made perfect sense. He was right, I was a baby for most of the time she's known me. It makes sense that if she really is starting to feel about me like I do her, she's going to feel weird about it. I turned to Steel and asked, "Well what do I do now?"

He just smiled at me. "You're going to need to confront her about it. For better or worse, you need to clear the air with her. Whether you two end up together or not, things are going to forever be weird until you two address this with each other. It's safe to assume that since she's avoiding you like she is, you're going to have to be the one to bring it up. I'm not going to give you false hope Spike...she might not want to be with you. Then again though, she might. From the looks of it, you've got an equal chance for both."

I felt a little nervous now. I didn't want to ruin anything I had with her, but then again what _did_ I have? Nothing right now, just a whole bunch of badly hidden awkwardness. On the one hand if everything went well, I would get to be with the pony I loved. If things went not-so-well and she rejected me, I was just right back where I started. It did scare me a little bit, but not knowing was also driving me crazy. I stood up and looked at Steel and Dark and nodded...then I left to go find Rarity.

* * *

I found her talking to Applejack and Twilight next to the kitchen. As soon as she saw me, she looked away.

I walked up to all of them and smiled. "Girls it's really good to see you all. I hate to break this up, but I really need to talk to Rarity. Can you give us a few minutes?" They nodded and walked off to join Steel and Dark in the reading room. Rarity still didn't look at me and I sighed. "Rarity, come outside with me please. I need to talk to you alone." She nodded and we walked out the back door.

She still didn't look at me, instead just kicking some snow nervously. "Alright Spike...what did you need to speak with me about?"

I just sat down on the steps and looked at her. "I'm pretty sure you know what I want to talk about, Rarity. It's been three days and you won't even look at me. Why are you so ashamed?"

She finally looked at me with a look of shock. "I am _not _ashamed of you, Spike. Whomever told you that was the case is misinformed."

I chuckled. "I never said you were ashamed of _me_, Rarity. I think you're ashamed of yourself."

Her shock turned to a look of resignation. She closed her eyes and let out a small sigh of defeat. "Is it truly that obvious?"

I shook my head. "Not to me. To Steel though..."

She nodded in understanding. "He does seem to notice a lot, that one. Yes Spike, I am ashamed of myself. Do you know why though?"

I absentmindedly drew circles in the snow around me and nodded. "I think I do. Is it because you still think of me as 'cute little baby Spike'?"

She nodded. "Yes Spike, you seem very well informed. I...I know it does not make sense, but when I look at you sometimes, I still see the young dragon that was enamored with me. The young little dragon that would do anything to please me."

I gently reached out and took her hoof in mine. She looked at me in the eyes again and I smiled. "I'm still technically a young dragon, Rarity...just not _as_ young. And just so you know, I would still do anything to please you. _That _hasn't changed." I let go of her hoof and cupped her face in one hand. "So, how do you _really _feel about me?"

She stared at me for a moment before closing her eyes and sighing. She kept her voice barely above a whisper, saying "It feels like love, Spike. And yet...it feels wrong somehow. I've seen you grow from a small child into a handsome young dragon, and I feel that because I have seen so much of your young life, I feel as if I am 'robbing the cradle' as it is."

I just chuckled and rubbed her cheek. "It would only be 'robbing the cradle' if the younger one didn't know anything about love, and was naive in the way the world works. I might not have lived as long as you and may not have seen as much, but I know what love is and I know what it feels like. I know what it means and how the one I love should be treated."

She suddenly shot forward and kissed me with fervor, pulling away just as quickly. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." she said over and over.

I brought her back and kissed her very gently and quickly on the lips again. She looked at me and I smiled. "Rarity, don't ever apologize for that. Like Twi told me, you can't help who you love. I'm just glad that even though for the longest time what I felt about you was one-sided, you actually feel the same way now. So don't be sorry." She nodded and smiled back. "Now c'mon Rarity, it's cold out here and I don't want you to freeze. Let's go join our friends."

* * *

**Perspective change - Steelbreaker**

Dark leaned over and whispered, "So, how do you think he's doing?"

I just shrugged. "I don't know for sure, but if I know Rarity like I think I do, he'll be fine."

Not a second later, Rarity and Spike walked in through the back door next to each other, smiling. I gave myself a mental pat on the back and caught Spikes eye. I smiled at him and he nodded.

"Well dude, I think they're going to be okay." I said with a smirk.

Luna, Fluttershy, and Moonfang then appeared in a blinding flash in the center of the room, right in front of myself and my brother.

I stood up right away and hugged my wolf friend. "Moonfang, it's great to see you. It feels like it's been ages since I've seen you last."

He embraced me as well for a moment before releasing and looking at me. "I agree, Steel. It has been too long."

I looked over at the two mares and held open arms, beckoning them in for a hug. They both walked over to me and embraced me as well, Luna nuzzling my mane cutely.

Fluttershy stepped back after they both released me and smiled. "Hello Steel...oh...um, I mean Prince Steelbreaker."

I laughed and shook my head. I responded in a soft voice, "Fluttershy, you were a friend before any talk of this induction into royalty even came about. I ask that you don't treat or address me any differently." She smiled and nodded, and we all headed to the main room.

The large table had been set for thirteen, but that means we were missing a few. I turned to Twilight and asked, "Hey Twi, where are Pinkie, Lyra, Dashie, and Celly?" As if on cue, Dash and Pinkie walked in through the front door, Lyra in tow. Celestia walked up behind me, as if by...well...by magic. This was obviously much to the delight of my stomach, for at that moment it rumbled very loudly and everypony turned and laughed at me. I just grinned sheepishly and sat down to eat.

The meal was lovely, a take off of my mother's recipe of clove and rosemary chicken, baked with olive oil...substituting daisies, tulips, and potatoes for the meat. Spike was very surprised that someone could cook better than him, and I was just glad to be in the warmth of all my friends' presence.

The meal was finished quickly, and after some more alcohol everypony started to clear off to their respective areas. My mother decided to spend the night with Big Mac at the farm, but everypony else stayed...even Celestia.

Celly stood leaning against the doorframe as I cleaned the dinner dishes. She smiled at me and spoke in that soothing silky voice that relaxed my very soul. "Steel, I wish to speak to you about...well...about us."

I finished putting the last plate on the drying rack and smiled. "Celly I already told you I personally don't have a problem with that prospect. You need to speak to your sister and student about it. Your sister because...well...she's your sister and it might be awkward because the two of you are already so close. Twilight because...well I think she sees you as a kind of second mother. It could be more than a little weird for her."

She smiled and nodded. "Yes, I was thinking the very same. I know my sister, so I am confident she will be fine with it. Twilight may be a different prospect, however."

I just chuckled and motioned upstairs. "Well then, she's upstairs on the observation deck preparing some drinks for us. Go talk to her now."

She nodded and headed upstairs as I finished cleaning up the main room.

* * *

**Perspective change - Twilight**

I took the blender and added the ingredients like Darkflight showed me. "Okay, strawberries, banana, rum, tequila..." I said, talking to myself. I popped the ice in last and turned it on. Luna and the rest of my friends were all sitting around different areas of the room, talking about Steel's new status or other things that I couldn't think of. I turned off the blender after a minute and poured the mixed drink into the five glasses. "Okay girls, drinks are ready! Come and get 'em." I said with a smile. Luna, Pinkie, Dash, and Lyra all walked up and grabbed their own glasses, while I took mine and sat down next to Luna.

Luna took a sip of her drink and her eyes widened. "Twilight, this is _very _good. What is in this?"

I giggled and leaned against her, drinking in her warmth. "Well Luna, it has strawberries, bananas, and two different types of alcohol in it. Darkflight showed me how to make a non-alcoholic version called a 'smoothie' a few days ago. He said this is called a 'frozen margarita'."

The other three mares tentatively took a sip, only for them to all smile. Pinkie started to chug hers and I had to stop her. "Pinkie be careful. I know it's sweet, but Dark told me the alcohol in this can sneak up on you. I know you can handle it, but still...please take it easy and just relax." She nodded and took a relaxed slump next to Rainbow.

A few minutes later, we all heard hoofsteps coming up the stairs. We all turned to see Steel and Celestia approaching us. The princess suddenly looked a little nervous when she looked at me, and this in turn made me feel nervous. She looked at Steel and he nodded.

She turned back to me and softly announced, "Luna, Twilight, I need to have a word with the both of you in private, please."

_'Uh oh...what could this be about? I hope nothing's happened...' _Luna and I set our drinks down and stood up to walk over to her and Steel. We all sat on the edge of the bed and Celestia looked me over. She sighed and closed her eyes, prompting Steel to place a hoof on her shoulder. When she opened her eyes, I could tell she was nervous, which made me even more nervous.

"I wish to speak to the both of you about something...something important that involves all of us." she said. She took another nervous breath and continued, "I...I have come to like somepony, and I need to ask if the two of you are okay with it."

Luna looked confused, but I had already figured it out. "You're talking about Steel, aren't you princess?"

She nodded and Luna's jaw dropped open. "Yes my faithful student, it seems nothing gets past you."

I nodded with a blank expression. "Well princess, I've learned from the best."

I knew what she was asking, and I understood her reason for doing so. She was interested in Steel, and worried that it would be awkward to be in a relationship with him while the rest of us were as well. My brain began to tell me that it was weird, and I should tell her that no, it wasn't okay. However I quickly turned that thought away and just like Steel had taught me that night on the balcony, I listened to my heart. Celestia had been alone for so long. Not literally, but she hadn't had a romantic partner in longer than I had been alive. She had told me of a dragon she used to love, but that was a few centuries ago. It wouldn't be fair to deny her of this after so long. Besides, it wasn't as if she was asking to be in a relationship with _me_, now was it? The more I thought about it, the more and more I found myself being okay with it. Steel must be rubbing off on me.

I lifted my head out of my thoughts and smiled at Celestia. "Yes princess, I'm okay with it."

She looked as if I had just grown a second head. "Wh-what? Really?"

I nodded. "Yes...why, were you expecting me to freak out?

She smiled sheepishly and nodded slowly. "Perhaps a little bit, yes. You never cease to amaze me, dear student." She turned to Luna and smiled warmly. "And what of you, dear sister?"

Luna's look of shock finally dropped, and she giggled. "Well Celly, are you ready to admit that I have good taste in stallions after all?"

Celly sighed and rolled her eyes. "Yes, you have chosen much better. I haven't forgotten Earth Shaker, however."

Luna gasped. "I told you that was a mistake, sister. It has been over a millennium, can you please drop that?"

Celestia smiled and said in a level voice, "I suppose after this, it is time to let the past be the past."

* * *

**Perspective change - Steelbreaker**

I couldn't help but smile. I figured if anyone would freak out, it would have been Twilight...but she surprised me. I think I might be rubbing off on her a little too much.

I turned to Celestia and she looked at me with those warm magenta eyes. Before I could react, she pushed our muzzles together in a kiss, one that I now happily returned. I could almost feel her emotions of contentment, and she sighed happily when we broke apart. I looked at her and smiled. "Well Celly, your confession went better than you could have hoped. I think this calls for a drink for you and I." She nodded and I proceeded to the small bar-like drink area. I mixed us both a couple drinks of coconut milk, a hint of lime, and a _lot _of rum.

She took the glass and took a small sip, smacking her lips and smiling. "Well Steelbreaker, this is very good. Are you sure you weren't an alcoholic on Earth?"

I chuckled and shook my head. "No princess, but I was a bartender for awhile. Not to say I didn't drink regularly, but I never was a heavy drinker."

We all took our drinks and sat out on the deck. I opened the glass curtain and a rush of cool air came in. I focused my aurora spell and shot it into the sky again. Celestia turned to me with a look of shock.

"So it was _you _that has been doing that?" she asked with a slight waver in her voice.

I nodded. "Yeah, it's me. I'm surprised Luna and Twilight didn't tell you."

Luna just giggled. "I actually wanted it to be a surprise, so I told Twilight as well."

Celly shrugged and smiled. "Well I enjoy this surprise. It is beautiful." She looked at me and leaned in, kissing me on the cheek.

We spent most of the rest of the night relaxing and all of us got a good buzz. It was about midnight by the time we were tired enough to go to sleep. Luna had to leave in order to take care of some duties in Canterlot tomorrow, so we all gave her a hug and she teleported to the palace. I closed the curtain and lay down on the bed, Celestia snuggling up on my left side. Twilight cuddled up right next to me and Dash in between her and Lyra. Pinkie decided to lay down against my leg, and we all spent the next hour or so talking about random things. Slowly, one by one, each of them fell asleep, until it was just Celestia and myself awake. She kept snuggling into my chest, and I just thought it was so cute.

I leaned down and kissed right below her horn. She looked up at me and I giggled. "Comfortable?"

She nodded. "Yes, you're very warm, Steel."

I chuckled and wrapped my foreleg around her, falling off into blissful sleep soon thereafter.


	21. Ch 19: Light and Living

**A/N: Hey everyone! Steelbreaker and Drew here with another exciting update to "The Lost Element". Glad so many of you have enjoyed the story thus far, so continue to R&R.**

**To FireBreath5150 - **_**Yep it's about time Spike got with Rarity. I knew it was only a matter of time with him having grown up during the winter season. As far as Celly, she's told me I'm rather "experienced" myself, to which I felt like all kinds of awesome. **_**Must be nice to sleep until 10:00 though. I have to get up at 05:30 five days out of the week.**

**To Israeli Pizza - Well I'm glad you've kept up with the story and of course, happy you're enjoying it. **

_**Luna: Well I cannot say that Steel has done something of that sort, but we do have our disagreements. Let us just say the "cold shoulder" is the bane of his existence.**_

**To Ausarheart - Well it's always good to have a loyal follower. I'll be sure not to disappoint. As far as my writing speed, I already type 80wpm, and the fact that I already have each story ironed out in my head before I even write it helps. The only reason it took so long tonight is because I kept getting distracted. Thanks for the update to your OC, I'll add it to the rest.**

**To JB - Well thanks for the review as always, and I'll be sure and get those questions to the girls on Saturday.**

**To AstralElebit - **_**Yep, Celly likes me. She likes me for my body, haha. As far as the war, you're right. Celly told me the same thing and it did kinda strike me as odd. I'll have to be sure and bring it up to her. I just hope your assumption about Ares is incorrect, or we're in for one hell of a fight. From what I've seen though, the lower soldiers in the gryphon military seem to be just as scared as ours are. I'll have to try and see if I can work with that. **_**On a real note though, I am seriously thinking of using your OC within the next few chapters. Sounds like a good guy, and fun too.**

**To hunter - **_**Celestia: Well young one, yes I would like to if we find we love each other and stay together. I have always wanted to be a mother, and if Steelbreaker turns out to be the stallion I've been searching for, I would want him to father my foals. We are still getting to know each other at the moment though, so no rush for now.**_

**Well shit, I didn't finish this until 4am because I decided it would be a good idea to play guitar and type at the same time. Call me crazy. CALL ME CRAZY! But yeah, here is the stories! Enjoys it!**

**Song Mentioned: "Black Bird" by The Beatles on **_**The White Album**_**.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters associated with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, nor the original storyline.**

* * *

Chapter 19: Light and Living

**Perspective change - Spike**

I woke up slowly, wondering why in the hay my body decides to get up at the "buttcrack" of dawn, as Dark calls it. I started to roll out of bed, only to find I was restrained by something. I opened my eyes and looked around, only to find a lovely ivory unicorn cuddling me.

'_Rarity...that's right, we worked things out last night.'_

I had honestly thought last night was a dream, but feeling her strangely cool breath on my chest removed the doubt. I smiled at the sight before me that was once only in my dreams. I couldn't help but tilt my head down and kiss the tip of her horn softly. She moaned in her sleep and hugged me tighter, and I couldn't help but smile even wider. Finally after four years, my dream came true. Instead of doing what I normally did - getting up to make breakfast for everyone - I instead chose to stay in the bed, admiring the beauty of my bedmate. She must have subconsciously sensed that I was awake, because she began to move around more, waking up.

She looked at me with a sleepy expression before suddenly blushing. "Oh dear, I apologize Spike, I am not decent. You shouldn't see me like this..." she said while turning away from me.

I grabbed her face in my hand and turned her back towards me. I leaned down and kissed her nose softly and looked deep into her eyes. "Rarity, I don't think there's a time when you won't look beautiful to me."

She giggled and nodded. "Only you would think such a thing about me, darling. Still, we should clean up and make ourselves presentable."

I nodded and followed her upstairs, careful not to wake AJ and Dark.

* * *

**Perspective change - Celestia**

I was standing out on the balcony of the observation deck, admiring another sunrise I had made for my ponies. I lowered my head and let slip a single tear while saying with a solemn voice, "This is for you, father. I miss you." It was at this moment I heard somepony approaching from behind, and I turned to see Steel with a concerned face.

He walked next to me and nuzzled my mane softly, making me feel better. "You really miss him, don't you?"

I nodded and buried my face in his neck. I couldn't help but cry a little more. Something about Steel just coaxed me to let go finally. I began to feel magic around me, and felt the spell I had become familiar with. I could hear music around me, and Steel began to sing...

"Blackbird singing in the dead of night

Take these broken wings and learn to fly

All your life

You were only waiting for this moment to arise

Blackbird singing in the dead of night

Take these sunken eyes and learn to see

All your life

You were only waiting for this moment to be free

Blackbird fly, blackbird fly

Into the light of the dark black night

Blackbird fly, blackbird fly

Into the light of the dark black night

Blackbird singing in the dead of night

Take these broken wings and learn to fly

All your life

You were only waiting for this moment to arise

You were only waiting for this moment to arise

You were only waiting for this moment to arise"

As he finished, I felt infinitely better. I remember that my mother used to sing to Luna and I when we were sad or otherwise unhappy. For a moment, it almost felt like she was with me again. Luna had taken our father's death in the war much harder than I had, but that was not to say it had not affected me...did not _still _affect me.

I looked up at Steel's shining golden eyes and smiled. "You are magical, Steel. Do you know that?"

He chuckled and kissed my cheek, replying in a playful yet soft voice, "Yeah, I have my moments. I love it when you smile. Your smile is as radiant as your sun, and just like the sun it warms me and everypony around you. So I make it a point to keep that lovely smile on your face."

I couldn't help but blush...he was such a sweet talker. I had stallions attempt to woo me previously, but it was only in an attempt to "jump my bones", as my sister so eloquently put it. With Steel however, I could tell it was sincere. I may no longer possess the Element of Harmony, but over my life I had learned to tell when somepony was lying. From what I could tell, Steel had yet to lie to anypony, not that he had reason to. He was more open about his life than most of the populace in our world. Considering the realm he came from, I often found this strange, but I tried not to think too much on it. Instead, I simply enjoyed the company he provided, as well as the newfound companionship I had found.

**Perspective change - Steelbreaker**

I was trying so hard to focus on the lovely alicorn currently snuggling into me, but I found my thoughts elsewhere...on the incoming war. Luckily we were fortunate enough that the gryphons were apparently not as skilled in war tactics as humans were, otherwise we could have had a full-scale surprise invasion before a declaration of war was ever issued. At least they had honor...or stupidity. I hadn't decided yet. Nonetheless, I would have to get started training everyone for this war. What bothered me the most is the fact that most of these ponies would never think of killing another being. It went against nearly every moral they had, but it had become obvious these gryphons did not hold the same morals. After the day at the cliffs where Frost had to save Twilight, it was clear this battle was going to get bloody...and I was going to have to work hard to train this military.

Celly apparently could tell I was deep in thought, because she nuzzled me again and pulled my face to look at her. "Steel, what's troubling you?"

I just lowered my gaze and barely whispered, "It's this war that's coming. Celly...it's going to get bad. I don't know if your people are going to be ready." I then stood up straight and looked at her with determination. "Come on Celly, we need to release your avatar. Your people will need your help." I could tell she was a little nervous, but she nodded. We took to the skies and headed to an open field I had found far on the outskirts of town, near the mountains.

* * *

We landed about a half hour later near an old mountain that once housed a dragon. I could tell my partner was very nervous now, but this had to be done. I stood a ways away from her, and spoke in as even a voice as I could.

"Alright Celly, things are going to be very different for you than it was for Luna and I. From what Frost has explained to me, your avatar is of the day and light. The problem with this is that it is bound to you, the pure-hearted princess of the day."

She then raised an eyebrow at me in confusion. "You state that as if it's a bad thing, Steel. If you are trying to give me confidence, it's not working."

I chuckled. "It's not a bad thing, Celly. What I mean is that because of who you are and your personality, you're not going to be able to release her with the negative emotions that Luna and I are able to channel. You have never had to deal with the immense hatred and loathing that Luna and I have, and so you will be unable to release her power with said emotions. Instead, you will need to focus on another powerful emotion...joy. You have to focus on what in your life makes you the happiest...what brings you that feeling of unbridled joy. You have to let it fill you and consume you. _Become_ joy itself."

She nodded and closed her eyes in thought. It took her a few minutes, but I began to feel magic gathering in the air, and the environment became warmer. This continued for a moment or two, before the magic dissipated and she opened her eyes, snorting in frustration.

She stomped a hoof and shook her head. "I felt it, Steel...I was right there, but I just could not break through."

I smiled and stepped forward to place a hoof on her shoulder in support. "Well what were you thinking of, Celly?"

She shook her head again, but smiled sheepishly. She explained, "I was thinking of how much happiness it brings me to raise the sun every day for my ponies. I love them more than my own life."

I leaned forward and nuzzled her face softly, which she blushed at. "That's not going to be good enough Celly, not nearly good enough. It has to be something personal. Hmm...I've got an idea. What was the saddest moment in your life?"

Her demeanor instantly changed, and her face became downcast. "That's easy...the day I had to banish Luna." I saw her tearing up. "What does this have to do with happiness, Steel? This is the exact opposite of joy."

I just laughed again. "Okay I understand what you're saying. Just listen to what I'm saying for a moment. Because of what she was possessed to do, you were forced to banish your own little sister...your own flesh and blood. Now remember what you felt like the day she was freed. After that thousand years without your sister - that thousand years of guilt and regret - how did it feel to get her back after all that time? That moment when you saw your little sister again after Nightmare Moon's defeat...what did you feel then?"

Celestia let slip a tear, but this time of pure unfettered happiness. I felt the same "snap" within her that both Luna and I had experienced, except hers was positive...like a light being turned on. It was serene, yet powerful. She closed her eyes and wore the most genuine smile I've ever seen...one of unbidden joy. I felt a large amount of magic congeal in the air and surround her, until she was so bright I had to shield my eyes.

When the light finally died down enough so that I could open my eyes, I stood before one of the most amazing creatures I'd ever seen. The body was the exact same as Celly's - pure white. The eyes were now orbs of white fire burning, and her mane and tail had changed to a golden color, radiating pure light. Her hooves were covered in white flames as well. Lastly, she wore a long flowing white gown.

The being looked at me and bowed. It spoke with a voice that brought an unending calm and security, "Hello Steelbreaker. I know much about you. It is a pleasure to finally meet one who brings joy to others."

I smiled and bowed as well. "The avatar of light, it is an honor. What do you call yourself?"

The pony gained a puzzled look before replying, "We do not have a name. Would you name us?"

I furrowed my brow for a moment before I thought of the perfect title. "Lux. It means 'light' in an old language of my world. This language is the beginning of most languages of my world, and so the word holds value to me in a philosophical sense."

The avatar bobbed her head in thought, and then smiled. "Yes...Lux will do well. Thank you, Steelbreaker. We have sifted through some of the one known as Celestia's thoughts, and we know of the war coming to Equestria. We also understand you have recruited Winter and Darkness as well, correct?"

I nodded with a small smile. "Yes. It was actually Winter's idea. What say you, will you assist us?"

The pony smiled and nodded. "Your cause is just, so yes...We will assist you all. We only ask that you attempt to train your warriors in non-lethal tactics. We do not take kindly to needless killing."

"I was thinking the very same thing, Lux. Make no mistake, however...this war will be violent. If at all possible I will attempt to save both sides from death...but it is safe to say casualties will not be completely avoidable." I said with as much compassion as I could muster.

The avatar furrowed her brow and sighed, but nodded as well. She explained, "We will overlook self defense...but you must avoid mindless slaughter or We cannot help you."

I nodded again, this time with a smile of warmth of my own. "I understand, Lux. I will make it so. Please return Celestia to us. We will summon you again when more training is needed. Thank you for your assistance."

The glowing alicorn nodded before blinding me with a flash of light, leaving behind Celestia, who instantly collapsed to the ground. She was still conscious, but more than likely not for much longer.

I nuzzled her and kissed her forehead. "Celly we need to get you to the hospital. It's safe to assume you're going to fall into a coma as well, same as Luna and I did."

She nodded and focused with the last bit of her consciousness and teleported us to the hospital in Canterlot.

* * *

**Perspective change - Luna**

'_Ugh...so boring. At least during night court, we get some interesting ponies. Tia owes me for this one.' _I let out a few sighs of boredom as I sat within the throne room...for nothing. Not one case all day. Luckily, day court was nearing its end, and I would soon be making my way back to Ponyville and my friends. Unfortunately for me, one case did make it to court today. Needless to say the two parties droned on and on about their arguments, even though I knew what I was going to choose as soon as the case was announced.

Luckily the last case finished quickly, so I gathered up my robe and started to walk back to my room...only to find Steel waiting for me, out of breath. I was worried at first, but he just smiled at me.

"Sorry Luna, just wanted to let you know that I awakened Celly's avatar today, so it looks like you have me all to yourself for the next two weeks." he said, still panting.

I was a little worried, but smiled nonetheless. "Thank you for telling me, Steel. Tia has prepared me for this, so I will be able to handle things here until she wakes. Will you stay with me?"

He responded by sporting a warm grin, and kissing me. "Of course I will. Might I ask if our friends could stay with us here if they want?"

Being royalty now, I still found it amusing that Steel would still ask my approval on things such as this. Still, I appreciated that he still respected me as his superior when it came to ruling. Even though I would never bring it about, I did have over a thousand years of experience more than him.

I just sighed and nodded. "Of course they can. You do know that you don't need to ask me about that, right? You are royalty after all, and they are my friends as well."

He smiled and kissed me again, which began to make me blush. "Thank you Luna! That's why I love you, you're awesome!" He then proceeded to hop around the room in excitement.

I giggled at his antics. I loved how sometimes he took the role of the elder among us all, while other times he would play like a little colt. Versatile, this one is. I did not notice as he flew out of the window of the corridor, a resounding *BOOM* following soon after.

I made contact with him to scold him, saying, _'Steel, please do not do that so close to the palace. We are technically in wartime now, and I would prefer to try and keep a panic from coming about.'_

_'Oopsies, sorry Lulu.'_

* * *

**Perspective change - Rainbow Dash**

I had just gotten done clearing the snow clouds away from town when I was startled by a loud booming sound. I looked to where the sound came from, only to find a white wave of snowy energy expanding outward, and a blur of what looked like a snow cloud in front of it...heading right for me. I was about to move, but then I realized it was Steel. By Celestia, it seems like forever since I'd seen him, and I was going to make sure my week off was worth it. I flew to meet him, and he stopped right in front of me, another loud boom reaching my ears, as well as a strong gust of icy wind that nearly knocked me out of the sky.

Steel just chuckled and caught me out of the air. He cradled me against him and flew up...and up, and up, and up, and up. I felt the air getting much colder, until he placed me down on a cirrus cloud.

I was freezing and I glared at him. "What the hay, Steel? It's cold up here!"

I tried to fly away, only to be grabbed by two huge wings. _'Whoa, did his wings get bigger? I could've swore they were smaller than this...'_

He nuzzled against me and kissed right along my jawline...oh, that is _not _fair. "I've missed you, my Dashie. It seems like ages since I have been able to hold you in my arms, and just tell you I love you."

'_Darn him...why does he have to choose _now _to be all sappy?' _I felt a large blush rising to my cheeks, but I couldn't help but enjoy the closeness. As much as I hated to admit it...I liked the sappy stuff with him.

He held me tight, and then dropped off the cloud headfirst. I started to struggle. _'What is he doing? We're heading right for the ground!' _He simply looked down at me with a smile, and for some reason I trusted him. He wouldn't hurt me on purpose...I was actually confident in that. About three hundred feet from the ground, he finally flared his wings while his horn was glowing. I felt a very warm air beneath us...did he just create a thermal current?

We landed a second later, and he nearly collapsed on the ground. I was worried for a minute, but he just smiled. "Whew...I didn't know if that was going to work."

I was dumbstruck...and angry. "What? You were hurtling us towards the ground and you didn't know if whatever it was you were doing was going to work? What's wrong with you?"

He just laughed at me and smiled. "What's the matter Dashie? _I'm _supposed to be telling _you _not to be reckless...not the other way around."

I snorted with annoyance and poked him in the chest. "Hey, I've never tried something unless I knew I could do it."

He kept laughing, saying in between, "Oh really? And how many times have you ended up in the hospital?"

Well...technically he was right. "Okay okay, you got me. Were even now, okay?" He nodded. "So Steel, not that I'm not happy to see ya, but what are you doing here today?"

**Perspective change - Steelbreaker**

I just chuckled and hugged the cute pegasus closer to me. "Well Dashie, I'm going to be spending the next two weeks in Canterlot with Luna while Celly assimilates her avatar into her body. I want you and the girls to come with me."

Her jaw nearly dropped off of her head. "Y-you want us to come to Canterlot?"

I smiled and stroked her mane. "Not just Canterlot Dashie, the palace. I want you girls to stay with me if you want."

She stood staring for a minute before she jumped in the air and did a little fangirl squeal, to which I giggled at. _'Ugh...thank God and Celestia that laughing is good for you, otherwise I'd be dead by now from respiratory distress.' _She flew into my arms and started raining kisses on me...in public. It was unexpected, but I wasn't complaining.

* * *

About an hour later, Dashie and I had passed off my invitation to all our friends, most of whom accepted. Twilight, Dash, Pinkie, Lyra, and Spike would all be joining us today in Canterlot, and Rarity would be arriving later. My brother decided to stay in Ponyville with Applejack, and my mother was still spending time with Big Mac. My sister had some sort of party she was going to, and this was the first party I'd heard of that Pinkie hadn't planned.

Twilight and I gathered everypony and Spike up in the library with their luggage, and proceeded to combine magic to do a mass teleport. Thankfully it worked(I hadn't told Twi I had never tried it before), and we were all now standing in the throne room, much to the surprise of a bunch of guards. Once they saw that I was escorting the group, they relaxed. We all walked down the winding hallways of the palace to the royal wing, depositing everypony's things in the guest room. All the girls immediately took off with Twilight to the hospital, to watch over Celly. We all knew she was going to be fine, but they still wanted to see her out of respect and love.

By now it was near supper time, but I asked the kitchen staff if I could help cook. They all stared at me like I was crazy for a moment, but agreed. Apparently they weren't used to royalty that actually knew how to cook, and wanted to. We set about gathering ingredients for white wine sauteèd mushrooms with roasted tomatoes and Greek salad and got to cooking. The head chef, Cordon Bleu, asked me to write down the recipe for him after he tasted it. Needless to say, he had new ideas for dinner from now on.

* * *

About an hour later the kitchen staff and I had set up the dining hall with the meal, including white grape wine and plenty of hot sauce for Pinkie and Dash. The girls all arrived as if on queue, and I could see Dash visibly salivating. I chuckled and motioned for them all to sit at their seats before pulling out a chair for Luna, and then sitting down myself. After I sat, I saw Dashie digging in as if she hadn't eaten all day, which in all likelihood, she hadn't. I just chuckled and began to eat.

After finishing, we all sat in the dining hall for a while drinking wine and catching up. It had been awhile since we had all been together, so we made the most of it. All of the girls were calm until Spike announced that he and Rarity were together now, at which point he drew the attention of everypony there, especially Twilight. I just sat back and enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere until Luna lowered the sun and raised the moon, signaling it was time for bed.

We all headed down the corridor again to the royal wing, to see Rarity approaching us. All the girls ran to embrace her and then bombarded her with all sorts of different questions concerning herself and Spike. I just laughed and continued to the rooms.

For the sake of appearances, Luna thought it would be better if we all slept in our own beds. I laughed at this, because I knew she'd probably sneak out to my room at some point during the night, much as Rarity would be going to Spike's room. I entered my room and lay down on the overly large bed and stared at the blank ceiling. "Hmm...well that's not going to do." I mumbled to myself. I flew up to the ceiling and focused as hard as I could. I had learned that when it came to spells, the longer you charged the spell, the less magic you would end up using. This of course was crucial for some more advanced magic, as now I knew that I could still cast nearly any spell I could think of again, if given enough time. And so, I focused for the next ten minutes on the enchantment I would be placing on the ceiling. After I felt I had charged sufficiently, I embedded the spell on the ceiling right above the bed. The rune flashed for a moment before disappearing. I activated the spell and just like I had planned, an illusion of a snowing cloud formed above my bed. _'Oh yeah, I'm going to sleep good tonight.'_

As much as I tried not to think about it as I lay in bed, my mind drifted back to the incoming war. I had never fought in a war before...and I had never killed anyone either. I promised Lux I would try and not have casualties, but still...I was worried. I felt my insides twisting up: I was afraid. For the first time in a long time, I was afraid. Not for myself, but for my friends and family. A few hours must have passed, as the next thing I knew I heard the soft flap of wings from outside my window. Figures...my girls just couldn't resist. I walked over to greet Luna at the balcony, only to be tackled to the ground by a blur of cyan. Seems Dashie beat her to it. I then heard the soft clopping of hooves from behind me, and looked at the door to see three smiling mares of pink, violet, and mint-green. I stood up with Dash still attached to me and lay down on the bed again. They all gathered around me and marveled at my ceiling I had created.

"Wow Steel...that's pretty." said Pinkie in her "soft" voice.

Twilight added in a soft tone, "I agree Steel. You should do something like that for the library."

I nodded and all the mares proceeded to snuggle right up next to me, which of course didn't bother me in the least. I kept my windows open to let the winter air in, so that just meant we'd actually be using the blanket, and close contact would be needed...and wanted. Luna and I stayed awake as the rest had quickly fallen asleep and spoke of her stars. She loved her constellations as much as I did, stating her favorite was Capricorn, which I found ironic seeing as how through the zodiac, I _am _a Capricorn. Oh well, stranger things have happened.

I was humming a tune to myself as a sort of lullaby until I felt Luna stroking my thigh. I looked at her and I could see the lust in her eyes. Oh boy...


	22. Ch 20: A Freakout and a Reunion

**A/N: Hey everyone, Steel and Drew here with another awesome chapter of glittery goodness! **_**Ooh, and waffles. Don't forget the waffles! **_**Yes, and waffles. Anyhow you know what to do. R&R and let us know what you thought. Thanks!**

**To FireBreath5150 - **_**I wonder where that noise came from? Of all the noises Luna made last night, that was not one of them, good sir. :P**_

**To JB - **_**I am surprised as well...I have no idea where that came from. Not to say it wasn't fun, but it was quite the surprise. I'm a little sore now.**_

**To Ausarheart - Well as always, I'm glad you're enjoying the story. As far as what's next, who knows? Things are starting to get intense, and will do even more so with the training of the military and the subsequent war. W00!**

**To Geefriend - **_**I will only be in the next interview as a mediator. I will not actively be answering questions. As far as what's allowed and what's "forbidden", as you put it, anything goes. The only questions we will not answer are questions directly pertaining to spoilers. Anything else is fair game.**_

**To hunter - **_**Pinkie: Well Huntie, my answer is YES! When he says he's ready, I'm ready. Ooh, I'm so EXCITED!**_

**To AstralElebit - **_**Well I would say that fire is hardly chaotic. For someone or somepony who understands physics well enough as well as chemistry, you can predict exactly what it's going to do - which makes it very orderly. War however is the very embodiment of chaos, simply because living beings themselves are so unpredictable. I am actually worried about the war's effect on Discord's imprisonment as well, so it's something I'll have to keep an eye on.**_

**To Guest - **_**Why yes I am. Thank you kind sir/madam.**_

**Song Mentioned: "Rocket Man" by Elton John on the album _Honky Chateau._**

**With those out of the way, ON WE GO!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters associated with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, nor the original story.**

* * *

Chapter 20: A Freakout and a Reunion

You know that feeling you have when you just had the best sleep of your life and you wake up to what seems like a perfect day? That would be me at this moment. It must have been obnoxiously early because the moon was still high in the sky. _'The dream I had was so vivid, and Luna was in it. Ah man...that wasn't fair, Mr. Brain.'_ I woke with a smile on my face...only to see Luna on top of me in a _very _compromising position. She was splayed over me with a messy mane, literally connecting us at the hips. A scent also caught my attention...one that was rather unmistakable.

'_Oh gods...that wasn't a dream. Shit, shit, shit!'_

I levitated her off of me as gently as I could, then I shimmied out of the bed careful not to wake the rest and set Luna back down again, pulling the cover over her. Of course with the with the way my mind works, I had images running through my head so fast it could be counted as insanity. Images both good and bad, but none that I was ready for at the moment. I walked out to the balcony overlooking the palace and sighed heavily before slamming my head on the railing. "Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid..." I chanted while slamming my head against the steel bar over and over, hoping that sooner or later I'd knock myself out. It was about a minute into this wonderful new hobby of mine when I heard hooves approaching behind me, and then a gasp.

"Steel? What are you doing? Stop that!" said the cute raspy voice of Rainbow Dash.

I stopped, but didn't turn to look at her. I licked the side of my mouth as I felt blood dripping down the side of my face, for some reason the taste calmed me a bit...odd. After a few minutes of silence I turned to meet her eyes, only for her to gasp again.

She was looking at me with not disgust or anger...but sadness. "Steel...why? Why are you doing this to yourself?"

I snorted a laugh. "Because I'm an idiot, Dashie."

Her sadness dissipated, and was replaced by understanding. "Okay Steel...what did you do now?"

I sighed heavily again, sitting down. I said in as soft a voice as I could manage, "I think I got Luna pregnant."

Dash just stared at me for a second before bursting out laughing. She was literally rolling on the ground, which just made me more frustrated.

"Okay Dash, it's not funny. I'm serious." I said, getting steadily more annoyed.

She calmed down enough to catch her breath and just smiled at me, tears in her eyes. "Steel, you are going to be fine, I promise. So is Luna."

I wasn't really convinced. "Dashie you don't get it, I'm not ready to be a dad yet! And with a war coming? This is by far one of the worst possible times for this. By Celestia, somepony kill me now..." I had worked myself into a frenzy, and before I knew it I was speaking at a speed that only Pinkie could decipher.

She just placed a hoof over my mouth and giggled. "No Steel, I didn't mean it like that. I know you'll be a good father someday, but I also know that's not now...not for you. What I meant was that Luna _can't _be pregnant. She's not in season."

I felt relief and a feeling of stupidity wash over me. _'I really need to read up on the workings of pony anatomy and biology...'_ "Okay Dash, well that's a load off of my chest. Question though...how will I know when she _is _'in season', or any of you for that matter?"

She scoffed. "Trust me Steel, you'll know."

I grumbled, "Wait a minute, you mean I've been neglecting sex for nothing then? Why couldn't any of you told me this sooner?"

She blushed brightly and shrugged. "You didn't ask."

I nodded dumbly and walked back inside to the washroom to clean myself up. I looked in the mirror to notice a split in my skin just over my left eye, and I set about cleaning it up as best I could. After wrapping it and cleaning up the sink, I walked back into the room to notice that Dashie had settled back in the bed, and the rest of the mares had yet to wake up as well. With my mind at ease again, I lifted Luna up before scooting back in my place, laying her just beside myself with a kiss. A few moments later and I began to drift back to sleep...

* * *

**Perspective change - Lyra**

I woke up feeling warm and secure. I looked to my left to see a vivid pink fluff ball snuggling against me. I was a little nervous for a moment before I thought, _'What the hay...'_ and snuggled closer to her. She let out a cute squeak that I couldn't help but grin at. Pinkie got a little intense sometimes, but when she was calm like this, she was _so _cute. Like two-week old kitten cute. _'Ugh...I think I've been spending too much time around Twilight. Since when is Pinkie cute?' _I tried to rationalize my thoughts to myself, but the more I thought about it, the more I didn't care. Buck it...I was fine with thinking she was adorable. After all, Steel didn't seem to mind being all lovey with us, why should I care?

As much as I hated to, I knew I had to get up and get cleaned up. Vinyl was having a party at her house for something or other. Didn't matter to me, I loved hanging out with her, and her parties were always great. I begrudgingly untangled myself from Pinkie's grasp and headed to the bathroom to get cleaned. I was awestruck when I noticed just how big it was, but then again it _was _for royalty after all. I quickly showered and brushed my teeth, then took to brushing my mane and tail. I kinda wanted to wake Rainbow up for this, but she looked really peaceful curled up next to Sparkles(yes, I gave her a nickname), so I let her be. After I finished cleaning up, I walked over to Steel. He must have heard me because his eyes were open, looking at me.

I shuffled over and kissed him on his cheek. "Hey Steel, I gotta go. Vinyl is having a party tonight and I wanna be there for her. So I'll see you later, okay?"

He pulled me into a hug with one leg and kissed me on my cheek as well. He nodded and released me.

I left the room, closing the large silver doors behind me. The two guards that were posted outside the room stared at me with confused expressions. I just smirked at them and walked down the hallway. It took a few minutes, but I finally reached the landing pad for carriages. I could see Vinyl's house, so I focused and disappeared in a flash.

* * *

When I opened my eyes again, I was outside Vinyl's front door. If I knew her, she'd still be passed out from last night, so i let myself in and raided her fridge for some breakfast. Not much, but I found some eggs, toast, and a few apples, so I started cooking breakfast for the two of us. I was just about to finish when I heard the clopping of hooves from the stairs above me. I looked up to see Vinyl smiling from over the railing.

"Hiya Lyra! Gosh, it's been forever since I've seen you. What have you been up to?" she asked while wearing her trademark grin while walking down the stairs.

I shrugged. "Not much. Playing music, making money, dating a prince..."

She stopped dead as she reached the bottom. "You're dating a prince? Who? Do I know him?"

I nodded. "Yes you do. You introduced us."

She furrowed her brow and placed a hoof on her chin, thinking. Suddenly she gasped in realization. "Steel? _He's _the new prince?"

I nodded again. "Yeah. Weren't you at his coronation?"

She smiled sheepishly. "Umm, I might have been sleeping off a hangover that day. Sorry babe."

I giggled. I remember when all the stallions in town used to think we were dating, she messed with them by calling me "babe" and similar things. It was an inside joke of sorts. One that was still funny every time because it still got a reaction out in public. I gave the eggs a stir and caught the toast with some magic as it popped out of the toaster. I placed it all on a plate and slid it over to Vinyl, who was seating herself on a stool at the counter. I served myself and cleaned up really quick before sitting beside her and digging in.

"You know," she began, "I never figured Steel for the 'royal' type." she said with a mouthful of toast.

"Well he wasn't really feeling it at first, but the princesses convinced him after awhile." I said after taking a sip of apple juice.

She nearly spit out her food. "Wait...he knows _both _of the princesses too?"

I giggled. "Well _knowing_ would be an understatement. They're kinda together too."

She slammed a hoof down. "By Celestia, who is this guy? I mean he shows up out of nowhere and makes friends with all of the Elements of Harmony, then both of the princesses."

I smirked. "You know Vinny, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were jealous of us."

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Maybe a little bit. I mean it's not like I really had time to get to know him though. I'm so happy that he showed me that dubstep music, it helped my shows take off like wildfire. Still...my career keeps me really busy. I barely have time to myself anymore."

I shrugged. "So take some time off. You're making tons of money off of your record sales. I'm sure you can afford some time to yourself. Trust me Vinny, your fans aren't going anywhere. Not only are you one of only like three musicians in all of Equestria, but in my opinion you're also the best."

She grinned seductively. "Dear Lyra, flattery will get you everywhere."

That was one thing about Vinyl that I loved...she was just...everywhere. Like after that statement, I honestly couldn't tell if she was joking or not. Still, it's one of the things that kept us close after all these years, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

She suddenly burst out laughing. "L-Lyra, you should see your face!"

I pouted cutely, hoping it would get her attention. It worked and she groaned. "C'mon Lyra, that's not fair. You're no fun at all..."

I wore my own grin and leaned over, biting her on her shoulder. She moaned while biting her lip. "That's not fair either, Lyra."

I played innocent. "What? You said I was no fun. I was just proving a point." I leaned closer. "Besides...if you thought _that _was good, I really shouldn't tell you what Steel and I did the other night."

She gasped again. "W-what did you do? C'mon, don't leave me hanging!"

I leaned over and whispered in her ear a very sensual explanation(use your imagination). I pulled away and noticed she was blushing so hard even her ears were turning red.

She composed herself and looked me right in the eyes. "Okay, you got me. Now I'm really jealous."

* * *

**Perspective change - Vinyl**

How? How did she land a stallion like that? She's got to be exaggerating somewhere in her story...or something's different about him. Like he's got a fifth hoof or something. I mean I loved Lyra to death, but I remember her not being the most socially open filly with colts back in school. She's right, I need to set some time apart for myself. If I missed something this huge, maybe I am working too much. Now I just gotta find a way to tell Tavi about it, otherwise I'll just get a three-hour long "I told you so" speech.

I was so lost in my own thoughts, I hadn't realized we were walking through the city of Canterlot now. _'How did she teleport us both without me noticing? Okay Vinyl...no more spacing. Next time you snap out of it, you're gonna be an old mare with grandfoals or something.'_ I always thought the capital was really pretty, but I tried to steer clear of this place. The upper-class ponies didn't really like me. All I ever hear out of them is "low class" this and "lower class" that. It was sickening.

Next thing I knew we were walking up to the giant golden gates to the palace. Two guards stopped us before recognizing who Lyra was.

She looked back at me and smiled, then she looked at the guards. "She's a friend. I'll take full responsibility."

The guards both nodded and lowered their wings, letting us through. Lyra leaned in close, and whispered, "Don't make me regret saying that, Vinny."

I pushed her away with a giggle. "Oh yes, mistress. Whatever you say." She blushed and I laughed hard. I loved messing with her.

We walked through the winding corridors of the palace, to...somewhere. How the princesses didn't get lost in this place was beyond me. However after like five minutes we arrived at a huge set of silver doors. Lyra opened one of them and peeked inside, then she opened the door fully and we walked in. There was Steel and four other mares. I recognized all of them, especially Pinkie(she throws wicked parties), and I was about to wave when I noticed what they were doing. They were all sitting in a circle listening to music. The next thing I knew, I could hear it too. Was that coming from Steelbreaker?

"She packed my bags last night pre-flight

Zero hour nine a.m.

And I'm gonna be high as a kite by then

I miss the earth so much I miss my wife

It's lonely out in space

On such a timeless flight

And I think it's gonna be a long long time

Till touch down brings me round again to find

I'm not the man they think I am at home

Oh no no no I'm a rocket man

Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone

And I think it's gonna be a long long time

Till touch down brings me round again to find

I'm not the man they think I am at home

Oh no no no I'm a rocket man

Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone"

Wow...that _was _Steel! He was singing, but where were the instruments coming from? I didn't see him playing any...

"Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids

In fact it's cold as hell

And there's no one there to raise them if you did

And all this science I don't understand

It's just my job five days a week

A rocket man, a rocket man

And I think it's gonna be a long long time

Till touch down brings me round again to find

I'm not the man they think I am at home

Oh no no no I'm a rocket man

Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone

And I think it's gonna be a long long time

Till touch down brings me round again to find

I'm not the man they think I am at home

Oh no no no I'm a rocket man

Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone

And I think it's gonna be a long, long time

And I think it's gonna be a long, long time

And I think it's gonna be a long, long time

And I think it's gonna be a long, long time

And I think it's gonna be a long, long time

And I think it's gonna be a long, long time

And I think it's gonna be a long, long time

And I think it's gonna be a long, long time..."

As he finished, I realized that I had closed my eyes and was rocking to the rhythm of the song. It wasn't rave music, but there was something..._catchy _about it. He looked over at me and stood up, walking towards me. I hated to say it - like _really _hated to say it - but with his royal gear on he looked like a completely different pony...but in a good way. And his mane had changed! Now it looked like the clouds from the blizzard about a month ago, and I could have sworn I saw snowflakes coming down it. _'Hmm...I wonder what my mane would look like if I were royalty...no! Stop that, bad A.D.D! Focus!'_ As I snapped back to reality, I noticed he was standing right in front of me. By Celestia, had he always been that tall? He just stared down at me before pulling me into a hug. _'Aww...I didn't get to hug-tackle him this time. Oh well...there's always later.'_

He nuzzled me softly and in a low deep voice whispered into my ear, "Hey Vinyl. It's been way too long. I've missed you."

'_He missed me?'_ What was happening to me? I was feeling all flustered like back in school when I first started "noticing" colts. I nearly stuttered to get the words out to answer him.

"I missed you too Steel." I said in an uncharacteristically soft voice for me. What? That couldn't have been me. What's going on? Is he using spells on me? Is he inside my mind? WHAT'S HAPPENING! _'Vinyl, slow down girl...calm...calm...' _I calmed myself and took a breath. _'Good...now take another breath.'_ I did as I told myself, and felt my heartbeat slow down some. Once I stopped spazzing out, I looked up at him and could tell he was struggling not to laugh at me. Normally I would be offended, but I realized how foalish I was acting and beat him to it, laughing loudly. The rest of the room joined in and we laughed until my sides hurt.

After we all composed ourselves, Steel went ahead and gave me the heads up on what had been going on. Apparently not only was he friends with both of the princesses, he was "_friends" _with both of them. _'Lucky bastard.'_ After that he told me he had something really important to tell me...

"Well Vinyl, if we're gonna be good friends I think there's something about me you need to know. Something pretty crazy." he said.

I was very interested all of the sudden. "Okay Steel, I'm all ears...both of them. What's up?"

He looked a little nervous before taking a breath and closing his eyes. "I'm not of this world, Vinyl."

'_What? What's he talking about?'_ I was confused, so I pushed further for answers. "Steel I'm not sure what you mean. Care to clarify?"

He sighed and closed his eyes. He leaned forward and touched his glowing horn to my head...

* * *

**Perspective change - Steelbreaker**

As I finished transferring my memories to Vinyl(leaving out the more _personal _parts, mind you), I saw her wobble a bit before falling to the ground, breathing heavily.

"Wow, that's intense." she said before standing on her hooves again. "What the hay, Steel. So you're like, an alien?"

I nodded. "Technically yes, I am. I pray you don't think any less of me."

She shook her head. "No, this actually answers a lot of questions for me. There are so many things about you - the way you act, the way you do things, the fact that you didn't know how to fly - that didn't make sense until right now."

I smiled. "Well I'm glad to know I'm not so weird anymore."

She giggled. "You're still weird Steel, but at least now I know _why _you're weird."

I rolled my eyes. "Gee thanks Vinyl. You really know how to make a stallion feel welcome to an alien world."

She then surprised me with a hug. "Oh please Steel, I'm pretty sure all our marefriends make you feel more than welcome, if you catch my drift."

I chuckled. "Yeah they do. Especially Luna last night...mmm..."

Luna blushed and turned her face away. "Steel, please don't talk about that. You're embarrassing me."

I walked over and nuzzled her affectionately and said in a soft tone, "Well, you were rather shameless last night from what I remember. And you didn't wake anypony up? Well done, my dear."

This just made her blush even harder, but she shoved me playfully. "Alright, Steel. Well I have things to take care of. Royal duties and whatnot. Will you be alright on your own until I return?"

I smiled and nodded. "Yes love, we'll all be fine. We'll find something safe and non-destructive to do."

She gave me the "stink eye" for a minute before shaking her head and leaving the room. I watched her leave and shut the door, before looking back to see five mares with devious looks on their faces...even Vinyl, which scared me for some reason. The last thing I remember seeing is Twilight's soft chest fur before I blacked out.


	23. Character Interview 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters associated with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, nor the original story.**

* * *

Character Interview 2

SB: Hey everyone, Steelbreaker here for the second Character Interview! W00! Quite a few more questions this time, so without any further ado, let's get rolling!

First question goes to Applejack, so AJ, take it away.

_AJ: Ahlraht then, first question comes from user zsd - "_Applejack, what will you pay someone to work at your farm?"

_Well pardner, Ah ain't gonna lie to ya, farm work is backbreakin' for what we could pay ya. Gotta remember, Sweet Apple Acres is fam'ly owned and op'rated. What Ah could offer ya or any other pony that needs work is a place ta sleep and food ta eat, as well as a few bits evry day fer yer hard work._

SB: Alrighty then, thanks AJ. Next question is from Zuelatak to Fluttershy. Your turn, 'Shy.

_FS: Oh, um...okay. _"Will you be my special somepony? I'm the yellow skin mare with a red mane that lives near the library."

_...Oh my...well, um...I..._

_*Hides behind Rarity*_

SB: It's okay Fluttershy, we're here for you. You can do it.

_FS: Well...umm...I-I don't remember meeting you. B-but I always...umm...like making more friends._

SB: You did great, Fluttershy. Next question is from zsd, and goes to Fluttershy as well.

_FS: Okay then...um...""" _"Fluttershy, do you have a job? I never saw you working in the show or stores..."

_Steel? What does he mean by "show"?_

SB: *Sigh* Oh boy...I figured I'd have to explain this sooner or later. Do you remember when I told you about those television things that we had back on Earth?

_FS: Yes. I remember, Steel._

SB: Well the thing is 'Shy...in my universe, you and your friends aren't real, Equestria isn't real, Terra doesn't exist, and magic doesn't exist either. In my world, all of you are just part of a cartoon television show.

_FS: Oh no...so that means...*starts crying*...that means that we're not real?_

SB: No Fluttershy, you're real. You're as real as I am and every bit as real as my world is. *extends a hug to Fluttershy* Keep in mind that here in this universe, Earth doesn't exist. That means everything that was "real" to me at one time doesn't exist. I promise though, you are every bit as real as you ever thought you were.

_FS: Th-thank you Steel...I feel better now, I'll be okay._

SB: Alright then 'Shy, I'm sorry you had to find out this way. Can you still answer the question?

_FS: Umm...okay. Well I run a veterinary clinic out of my home for the pets that any of the ponies in Ponyville have. I also help Zecora from time to time when she needs help with animals._

SB: There we go, nice easy answer. Thanks Fluttershy. Anyhow there wasn't a name, but I'm assuming this next question is from zsd as well, and is directed to Rarity. Your turn Rare, take it away.

_Rt: Very well, dear. I'll just skip the first part, _"Rarity, how much would you pay someone to get the gems you need and learn the spell to find them?"

_Well darling, I would teach the spell for free of course...I certainly do not _own _it. As far as the work, I believe fifteen bits per pound of jewels would suffice. That is the same amount I wished to pay Spike for his work, but he refused._

SB: I thank you, Rarity. The next question is also from zsd, and also directed to Rarity.

_Rt: Thank you Steelbreaker. Alright now, _"Rarity, this may be personal, but what are your thoughts on Spike and the war? Knowing Spike he might try to be a knight and save Ponyville."

_Well I believe my thoughts on Spike are quite clear by now...I adore him. As far as the war, I possess a strong distaste for violence in any form. However, I will not allow that violence to endanger the ponies of my home and I will stop it, by force if necessary. Spike is a growing dragon and is now fully capable of making his own decisions. I would worry about him should it ever come to him fighting, but I trust that Steelbreaker would watch over him._

SB: Wow, Rarity. I have a newfound respect for you. I didn't think you'd ever even _think _about fighting.

_Rt: It is all about the situation, dear. I would not enlist in the princess' military, but should the fight ever come to Ponyville, I will fight every bit as fiercely as your greatest soldier, as I know Spike would do the same._

SB: Of that I have no doubt, Rarity. Thank you. Alright then the next question is from JB and it's directed to Fluttershy. It's all yours.

_FS: Um, okay. "How's Angel been since Moonfang has been staying? It must have been uncomfortable, but he's used to it now, right?"_

_Um...well Angel was scared of Moonfang for a long time until I showed him that Moonfang wouldn't hurt him. They're actually good friends now, which is surprising since Angel usually doesn't like anypony._

SB: But Moonfang isn't a pony, now is he?

_FS: Hmm...you're right Steel. Maybe that's why..._

SB: Maybe so, 'Shy. Alright thanks. Next question is from JB as well, directed to Applejack. Take it away, girl.

_AJ: Ahlraht now, _"Workin' hard or hardly workin? Haha...hey, where's your dog?"

_Oh, haha, yer a funny one._

SB: It was a joke AJ. JB's just having some fun.

_AJ: Okay, well Winona ain't got much ta do durin' tha winter, because we don't do tha cattle drive 'til summer. She usually sleeps in tha barn and just walks around town._

SB: Alrighty, thanks AJ. Oh finally, a question for Pinkie!

_PP: Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, yay!_

SB: Heh, okay Pinks settle down. Anyhow the question is also from JB. Go ahead.

_PP: Okay! _"Sweet Celestia above, who's taking care of Gummy?"

_Hehe...well I am, silly! *reaches in mane, pulling out the small reptile* See? I never leave home without him!_

SB: But how? I mean that doesn't even...you know what? I'm not going to try and figure that one out, it's just going to make my head hurt. Anyway next question is directed to Pinkie as well from "The mace v.s The sheild".

_PP: Okie dokie lokie! _"Want some pie?"

_*GASP* Pie! Ohmygosh! I want some! *high speed rambling*_

SB: Dammit...thanks a lot dude. My ears are going to start bleeding. Anyway it looks like you had a question for me too. I wasn't planning on answering any, but I guess I can make an exception for one.

"Steelbreaker, do you think other ancient enemies like Discord or the Protoss will rear their ugly heads?"

Hmm...well Discord is highly likely with the war coming on, because of the chaotic nature of war itself. Protoss though...probably not so much. At least I hope not. I don't know if we could hold down the fort against an entire fleet of Carriers. Luckily the Protoss aren't fond of conquest, they simply wish to hold their lands against invaders and be left in peace. I don't see them being the attackers.

Anyhow, the next question comes from Geefriend and is to Fluttershy. Go ahead 'Shy, your turn again.

_FS: Umm...okay then. "_Fluttershy, do you have a...how do you call it? Stallionfriend? If you have one, who? If you don't, why not? I think Moonfang wanted to ask you out, but it was never mentioned again..."

_Well, umm...no I don't have a coltfriend. I just get a little scared sometimes..._

SB: Well what about Moonfang, 'Shy? That night after Rainbow Dash's party, he was going to basically ask you out. Did he?

_FS: Oh my...no, he didn't. We talked for awhile but then we just went back home and went to sleep._

SB: Well maybe you should ask him about it, 'Shy. Seeing as how it's out in the open and all. He really likes you a lot.

_FS: W-well I don't know..._

SB: Is it because he's a wolf?

_FS: What? Oh no, no not at all. I don't care that he's different it's just..._

SB: You're scared?

_FS: Yes..._

_AJ: What are ya'll scared a, sugarcube?_

_FS: Well...I..._

_Rt: I think I understand, darling. You're afraid he's going to hurt you._

_FS: Oh no, Rarity. Moonfang is so gentle. He's nothing like a normal timberwolf anymore. It's just..._

_PP: She's afraid he's going to leave._

_FS: *nods*_

SB: Fluttershy, I've seen Moonfang's heart. Only death would take him away from you. He's every bit as loyal as Rainbow Dash. Just think about it, okay hun?

_FS: Okay...I will._

SB: Alrighty then, so that takes us to the next question, also by Geefriend. All yours, Rare.

_Rt: Alright, "Rarity, did you have any other stallionfriends besides Spike?"_

_Well yes, I have. Two others, actually. My first was back in school. Believe it or not, Big Macintosh and I were together when we were in our seventh years in school. After him, I dated a pegasus from Canterlot for awhile, whose name I honestly cannot recall._

SB: Wow, only two, huh?

_Rt: What do you mean _only _two?_

SB: Umm...nothing. I'll just shut up about it now. Anyway, the next question goes to Pinkie Pie and is also from Geefriend. Pinks? You're up.

_PP: Okay! _"Pinkie Pie, how many parties did you organize? And what do you think about war? How old is Gummy?"

_Well I organize almost every party around Ponyville! I've lost count, to be honest, but that's okay! I count them by the smiles, not the party...and I get a _lot _of smiles. _

_I don't like the war, I don't want my friends to get hurt...but if those gryphons are going to be big meanies, I might have to fight too._

SB: Uh to be honest Pinkie, I couldn't see you purposefully fighting anyone. Something tells me you wouldn't like it.

_PP: I never said I'd _like_ it, Steelie...but if my friends get hurt, their families will be all saddy-waddy. *mane flattens* No...I'm going to make sure that all of us make it back. No pony is going to be left behind...I Pinkie promise._

SB: Wow Pinkie, I never thought...I'm proud of you, Pinkie. You are so much stronger than anyone ever thought. But anyway, Geefriend still needs to know how old Gummy is.

_PP: *Mane poofs up* Oh Gummy? Hmmm...well I got him when he was really little, but I don't really know how old he is. I've had him for about six years though._

SB: Thanks Pinkie. I want to talk to you later about something, okay?

_PP: Okay, Steelie!_

SB: Anyway, next question is from - you guessed it - Geefriend. This one's for Applejack. It's all yours, cowmare.

_AJ: Ahlraht now, _"Applejack, how old are you? How old do you ponies get in general? Are you ok with Big Mac's marefriend? What happened to Winona?"

_Well Ah'm twen'y four. As far as how old ponies get, it depends on tha race. From what Twi told me, it all d'pends on how much magic they got in 'em. We earth ponies got tha shortest life spans, livin' just a few hundred years..._

SB: Wait, wait, wait...a few _hundred?_ Wow...that's longer than any human ever lives.

_AJ: Really? How long do humans live?_

SB: Like maybe sixty-five years, if that.

_AJ: What? Wow sugarcube, that's not long at all. Anyway, pegusi live tha second longest, toppin' out at about five-hundred years. Unicorns live tha longest...nopony really knows how long though. Ev'ry unicorn in history so far has gotten in an accident and died or was killed some other way. Only alicorns live forever, but looks like Twi, Lyra, Rarity, and our other unicorn friends'll be around for a long time._

SB: Wow...I'm actually glad someone asked that question. It's enlightening. What about dragons?

_AJ: What about 'em, Steel?_

SB: How long do they live?

_AJ: Twi said it d'pends on tha dragon._

SB: Hmm...I'll have to ask her about that. Anyway, you still got a few questions to answer, AJ.

_AJ: Right. Anyway, Ah like Mac's marefriend. After Steel and his fam'ly got here, me n' Kate got real close. Ah like her, and she treats mah big brother good. As far as what happened to Winona, Ah already answered that. We don' really see her that much durin' tha winter. She kinda does her own thing. 'sall right, she knows where home is._

SB: Thanks AJ. Well that's all the questions we have for this interview. Thanks to all our fans for sending in the questions, and thanks to all the girls for coming in and answering questions.

The next interview will be happening on 08/04/2012, so be sure and send in your questions. The next interview will feature Vinyl Scratch, Celestia, Big Macintosh, and Lyra. I'll be busy on the fourth, so Spike will be doing the reading. Anyhow, be sure and send in all your questions to Drew's inbox before August fourth to get them answered.

Peace to all, and goodnight!

_Girls: Bye!_


	24. Ch 21: Of War, Wubs, and Worries

**A/N: New chapter is incoming! You're welcome. As always, R&R and let us know what you thought.**

**To dch448 - **_**Well if you remember, most of the ponies thought the "legend" of Nightmare Moon was just an old mare's tale. Celestia knew her sister would return after those thousand years, and so she had to protect her. She chose to manipulate the memories of the ponies who were alive to witness it so that what was once common knowledge became a simple story parents would tell their foals to scare them when they were misbehaving. To this day, Celly says she regrets doing that, but it happened nonetheless. Besides, as humans well know, simply because a set life span says you **_**can**_** live a certain amount of years **_**doesn't mean you will.**

**To hunter - **_**Well I suppose when I'm ready I certainly can. This would be my first time being a father, of course, but it's not as if I'd be doing it all alone. Celestia-willing, the mothers will still be alive to help, and I have experience in raising children as it is. Can't be too hard to raise my own. Besides, magic makes everything easier.**_

**To Israeli Pizza - FS: **_**Umm, yes I do. I didn't at first because I didn't use to like bugs...but I realize that every animal - no matter how big or small - has its place in the world. Besides, when I take good care of them, they offer me some honey...which is so very good from the flowers around Ponyville.**_

**To the monkey ninja - Haha yeah, that was kind of a doucher move. She already knew what he was like before she ever brought him to Equestria though, so it's all good. It wasn't mean-spirited or anything, so I'm sure she'll get over it.**

**To Ponydiscord - Umm dude, I thought this story was gonna tank when I first started writing it, and look how well it's come along. That's what reviews are for though, to tell you what you need to improve on, as well as what works and what doesn't. Everyone has the potential to write something great. The trick is finding something you're passionate about to write about.**

**Wow...yet another chapter. I honestly never thought this story would be received as well as it has been. Hey, I'm not complaining though. Anyhow thanks to all my fans both new and old. Check back every few days for updates!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters associated with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, nor the original story. **

* * *

Chapter 21: Of War, Wubs, and Worries

I woke up to a pounding headache, as well as a very warm feeling all around me. As my hearing began to awaken as well, I heard...crying? Did someone die or something? I dare not open my eyes so as to forestall the inevitable burning from the light of wherever I was. Instead, I just groaned and moaned out a, "Why?" to no one in particular. This apparently got the attention of whoever was in the room with me, as the crying stopped. I opened my eyes only to be met with a bright blue face and two rose-colored eyes.

"You _are _an idiot, Steel." said the rainbow-maned mare.

I chuckled softly and smiled. "I agree Dashie, but what about?"

I received a punch into my shoulder that made me wince, and I turned to see Vinyl glaring at me. "You gave yourself a concussion, stupid."

I laughed. "Well out of all the things I've done in my life, of course it would take something as simple as that to give me a concussion. Didn't get one when I got hit by a car, didn't get one when I fell out of a tree, didn't get one when I drunkenly fell down stairs...but a few slams on a metal bar does the trick. I guess I'm just an overachiever."

Thankfully this lightened the mood, and a few of my visitors were laughing. I nudged Dash off of my chest and sat up, only to be met with a sensation of the room spinning. _'Vertigo...awesome...'_ It took everything I had not to fall back to the bed. I looked around the room and noticed it was packed, much like when I had woken up from my coma a month ago. However, I noticed that Luna was missing.

"Luna?" I mumbled.

Twilight rolled her eyes. "You've only been out a few hours, Steel. Unfortunately Luna has responsibilities to keep, even if you feel like being a dummy. You can expect a lecture from her when you get back to the palace."

I sighed and lowered my eyes to the bedsheets. "Great, I can't wait," I said, my remark just _dripping_ with sarcasm.

I was almost resenting waking up when the very pony that was indirectly causing said resentment walked in the room...and she was furious.

'_Tits...'_

* * *

**Perspective change - Darkflight**

My sword cut through the log like a red-hot knife through butter on a stripper's ass. I checked the sword to find it just as it started - flawless. I had to say, I actually turned out pretty damn good as a blacksmith. Rarity and I had held off on making the ornate guard's armors because of the incoming war. Somehow I didn't think the ambassador dude for the gryphons would be showing up, and she agreed. This left me lots of time to make new weapons and armor for the new military, which in all honesty, I loved doing. This military was going to look so sick...

My thoughts were broken by my brother walking up, looking like a demon just tore his soul out.

"Fuck dude, you look horribad. What happened?" I said, trying not to laugh.

He just sat down beside me. "Luna happened..."

I couldn't help but laugh now. "Lemme guess, she chewed your ass out for being a retard, right?"

He nodded while rolling his eyes. "Pretty much. I mean Twi told me she was worried until she found out I was going to be okay...then she got really mad."

I nodded and went back to my training. "Yeah, I heard about that. So how exactly _did _you manage do give yourself a fucking concussion?"

"Well I kinda freaked out when I thought I got Luna pregnant, so I slammed my face into a steel bar over and over again." he said, smiling sheepishly. Then he looked at my swords and smirked. "Dude...is that Yamato and Force Edge?"

I took the larger sword off of my back and smiled. "Hells yeah. I mean not the real demonic swords per se, but if I'm going to make weapons for myself, they're going to look badass."

He rolled his eyes and smiled. "Dude, I think you played Devil May Cry 3 too much."

"No such thing, good sir. Now if you'd kindly leave me, I have more awesome to practice." I said, turning away from him.

He just laughed and walked off.

* * *

**Perspective change - Steelbreaker**

After leaving my brother behind, I headed back to the palace to make amends with Luna. With it being late afternoon I knew she would be in her room, so I headed there. In all honesty I really didn't want to do this, but meh...love makes you do crazy things. That and the fact that being a male meant admitting I'm wrong...all the time.

Anyhow I was attempting to not wobble too much as I walked down the corridor to Luna's room, as my head was still killing me. Luckily I made it without passing out again, and I softly knocked on the door.

"Luna?" I said, almost hoping she wouldn't hear me. She did.

I heard shuffling from behind the door before the door opened a crack, revealing Luna with puffy red eyes. She'd been crying. _'Great...now I just feel even more like an asshole.'_ Luna didn't say a word, she simply opened the door wider and nodded me inside. I walked in the room trying to look as pitiful as possible, which wasn't that hard because in all honesty I did feel like shit. Looking into the broken expression of my goddess just made me feel worse.

"The doctors told me you might have brain damage. You could have died..." she said softly. I could tell she was trying hard not to cry again.

I sat down on the bed and lowered my eyes...I didn't even want to look at her right now. "I'm really, _really _sorry Luna. I just did something stupid. I never thought something as simple as ramming my head into a steel bar would tear you up this badly. Please believe me when I say I never meant to do this to you. Hurting you or anypony else is the absolute _last _thing on my mind. I'm so sorry..." She didn't move, didn't speak. She wouldn't look at me either. After about ten minutes of silence, I figured I'd said what I needed to say, so I got up to leave. It felt like a knife was twisting in my gut when she didn't stop me, so I just opened the door and walked out.

I didn't have anything to do for the rest of the day, but neither did I really want to do anything now. I just headed back to my room and lay down. Unfortunately the doctor told me I couldn't sleep for at least the next eight hours...as I might not wake up. And so I closed the door behind me, turned on my mp3 player, and just lay there staring at the ceiling.

* * *

**Perspective change - Vinyl Scratch**

It was late afternoon and I was with Lyra walking back towards the palace to check up on Steel. I kinda felt sorry for him...Luna really let him have it, and Twilight said she'd never seen her that mad. I mean I kinda understood why she was mad, but still. Maybe I could find a way to lighten Steel's mood...

Before I knew it, we were walking down the now-familiar corridors of the palace. _'By Celestia, I never thought I'd be familiar with the palace. This is so cool! No, focus! We're here for Steel.'_ I forced myself from my thoughts just in time to see Steel's big silver doors that lead to his room. Lyra was about to knock, but I just walked in. I could feel her glare, but I shrugged it off.

"Hey girls." said the silver alicorn, not even looking at us. "You two here to hate on me as well? Go ahead, I'm in my happy place...somewhat."

Lyra walked up to him first, looking genuinely sad for him. "Steel, don't do this to yourself. You know Luna, she'll come around. Just give her some time."

I couldn't stand to see him like this...it was making me mad. I walked over to him and nudged him softly. "Alright Steel, enough of this feeling sorry for yourself. Get up, we're going out."

He just stared at me, but sat up. "What? What are you talking about? Where are we going?"

I rolled my eyes. "Somewhere not so depressing, and we're going to do something fun."

Lyra and I walked Steel over to the local club/bar that I perform at, and sat down for some drinks. After all, it looked like he could use a few.

"Girls, I really don't want to drink right now." he said a bit glumly.

I giggled. "C'mon Steel, a few drinks won't kill ya. You need to loosen up some, and I can help ya do that."

He sighed. "Okay, but just a few."

* * *

**_TWO HOURS LATER**_

"I love everyone!" Steel said, slurring a bit. He leaned over and gave me a big kiss, albeit a sloppy one. Any other time I would be blushing like mad, but I was well aware what powers alcohol had over inhibition. Maybe vodka was a bad idea...

I stood up and dropped bits on the table to pay, then started nudging him. "Okay Steel, I think it's time to go home now. C'mon now, let's go."

He shoved me away angrily. "No, I don't wanna!"

Lyra rolled her eyes and pulled his hoof. "Steel, stop acting like a foal. Lets go!"

And then...he started crying. "Why are you being so mean to me?"

He had the saddest and cutest face I've ever seen, and my heart just broke. Okay...new rule: sadness and alcohol are never allowed to mix with Steel.

Anyhow, we finally got out of there and headed back to the palace. I had to end up making sure he didn't fall because he was definitely too drunk to fly. He thankfully turned back to a happy drunk on the way back, so at least we didn't have to explain to all the ponies we passed why a grown stallion was bawling.

* * *

We arrived at the palace again just as the moon was getting ready to rise, and Steel had surprisingly sobered up quite a bit just on the short walk back. I could tell because for one he could now walk on his own, and two because now he hung his head in embarrassment...no doubt over how he was acting. He opened his door and we walked inside with him to make sure he didn't hurt himself or something. He lay back on his bed and turned that mp3 thing back on, and started to listen to music.

Lyra walked up and kissed him on the cheek. "I have a concert to play in Fillydelphia tomorrow, so I won't be able to stay tonight. Are you going to be alright, Steel?"

He nodded and let a little smile show. "I'll be okay Lyra. Thank you. Travel safely, beautiful."

She blushed and nodded, then left. This just left me alone with Steel, which in all honesty made me a little nervous. He looked over at me and patted the spot next to him on the bed, so I hopped up and lay down on the plush blanket. He was listening to some sort of soft music and was bobbing his head to the beat. It was like my kind of music only more...chilled. I couldn't help but nod my head to the rhythm as well.

"It's called 'Summit', and it's done by that DJ _Skrillex _that I told you about." he said softly.

I nodded and ever so carefully moved closer to him, until I could feel the heat he gave off.

He noticed and looked down at me with a smile. "And what are you doing, dear Vinyl?"

I blushed and smiled back. "It's cold in here, and you're warm. Why do you keep your windows open anyway? It's the middle of winter."

He chuckled and smiled at me mischeviously. "Because I like it cold in here. Besides, it makes whoever's in here want to get even closer to me. By how you're acting, it's working quite well." He then reached a hoof around me and pulled me right up against him. He started stroking my back softly, giving me chills.

"Ugh...you're not making this easy, Steel." I said with a huff of frustration.

He smiled innocently. "What am I making difficult?"

"It's taking every fiber of willpower I have not to latch onto you like a tick and never let go." I stopped when I realized what I said and smiled sheepishly. "That sounded a lot cooler in my head..."

His faced contorted in a smile before he burst out laughing. I was so happy I could make him laugh, even if it was at my expense. He needed it after today. I was just about to follow through with my threat when he pulled me up against him instead and hugged me tight.

"Haha! I beat you to it, I win!" he nearly yelled, which actually hurt my ears a little.

This guy is good...

* * *

**Perspective change - Steelbreaker**

I was actually having a lot of fun with Vinyl, much to my surprise. She was playful, had a good sense of humor, and had great taste in music. Why did I never spend time with her before? Well since Luna hated me now, I guess that gives me plenty of extra time to catch up.

"So Vinyl," I said softly, "I'm sorry I didn't really stay in touch as much as I should have. I just kinda bailed on you after I showed you my music. I'm really sorry about that."

She rolled away from me and lay on her back, placing her hooves behind her head. "Steel it's okay. I was busy too, ya know. Recently though, I've decided to take a little 'vacation', so I have plenty of time to myself now."

"Well good, because you seem like the kind of friend I'd like to have. Chilled out, loves music...you're awesome." I finished with a smirk.

She giggled again. "Well I can't say I've never been told that, but it means a lot coming from you. Thanks Steel."

We spent the next few hours talking and laughing a lot about the many "adventures" I've had so far with Luna and the others until it was near midnight. I felt a presence that I was intimately familiar with approaching from the throne room. _'I hope she's ready to talk...'_

I looked at Vinyl and smiled. "Hey Vi, can you give me a few minutes? Things are gonna get tense in here and I don't want to bring you into that."

She nodded. "Alright Steel, I'll wait in the gardens then."

I nodded and she left. I turned my music back on and started listening to some soft music while I waited. Not a minute later, Luna walked in my room looking very sad still. She still wouldn't look at me. I wanted nothing more than to jump up and tackle her to the ground and rain kisses on her, but I restrained myself. Something told me she wouldn't be okay with that...not yet.

She shifted nervously before clearing her throat and addressing me, "Hi Steel."

I sat up and leaned against the headboard, smiling. "Hi Luna." I said simply.

"So, um...how are you?" she asked, sounding an awful lot like Fluttershy.

I decided to go for the cheesy line, just to see if it would work. "Much better now that you're here, Lulu." It worked...thank Celestia.

She finally looked at me and smiled. "Well then I am happy, Steel." She then took a more somber look and sat down in front of me. She sighed deeply before continuing in an equally somber tone. "Steel, I apologize for how I reacted. I was just so worried. When I received word you were in the hospital with head injuries, I nearly cried in the middle of court. I don't know what I would do without you Steel..."

I grabbed her with my magic aura and pulled her closer to me. I wrapped my legs and forelegs around her and hugged her tight. "Luna, I'm so sorry that I put you through that. I mean, I was just banging my head against a steel railing because of how stupid and careless I was last night. I had thought I got you pregnant or something. Don't worry though, Dashie explained how ponie's reproductive cycles work, so I'll not be having that misunderstanding again."

She looked at me and raised an eyebrow, "You gave yourself a head wound because you believed I might have been with child? Would that have been such a bad thing?"

I nodded glumly. "Yes Luna, it would have been. First off, we will be going to war relatively soon, most likely. You would be unable to help us if you were carrying, and I would be unable to be here for you because I would be fighting. Secondly and more importantly, I'm not ready for a foal just yet, Lulu. I admit I overreacted a little, but still...I was freaking out because I know I'm not ready for that yet. I promise the day will come, just not now."

She seemed to accept this and smiled. "I understand, Steel. I am sorry I treated you as I did when you came to me earlier. I was afraid I would lose you...and I honestly do not know why I acted how I did towards you. I was hurt...and afraid."

"Well all is well, Luna. I'm not hurt too badly and you're not pregnant, so it's a win-win scenario here." I said with a goofy smile.

She smiled back at me and lay down next to me. "I would not look at things so optimistically, but I am gladdened that you are okay."

"Hey Lulu, where are all the girls?" I asked. I felt bad that I hadn't even noticed they were gone until right that moment.

She snuggled against me and sighed. "Twilight is studying on war tactics within the Royal Library. She is here, but will be staying in her old tower room for her stay until she finishes. Rainbow Dash is spending the night with her friend Fluttershy, but will be back tomorrow. Pinkie Pie is lending a hand at Sugarcube Corner for a large order that has come up, and she would not leave her family to do it alone."

I nodded. "Well I suppose that just leaves you and Vinyl tonight. It's all good."

She looked at me incredulously. "So you and Ms. Scratch..."

I shook my head and chuckled. "No Luna. I mean I wouldn't be against it, but we're still getting to know each other. Right now she's just a good friend who makes a great cuddle buddy. It's been weeks since we last saw each other, so I'm playing catchup right now. I've already contacted all the other girls about it and they don't have a problem with her should we ever become more than just friends. Pinkie even seemed ecstatic. What about you?"

"I trust your judgment, Steel. I have not felt any less loved, so I have no reason to distrust you." she said softly, nuzzling into my snowy mane.

I smiled and kissed her forehead. "Thanks, love. That means a lot to me." I then made contact with Vinyl. _'Hey Vi? You can come back now. All's well here.'_

A few minutes passed before I heard the door open. I opened my eyes to see Vinyl walking in with that grin that just made me want to smile with her. She hopped up and lay down next to me, curling her tail around herself and cuddling into my side. _'By Celestia, that is _so _cute. She's like a little puppy! D'awwww...'_ I couldn't help myself, and I started stroking her back again softly. She shivered a few times and sighed happily. Luna wrapped herself around me, and I could feel her cool skin against my side. _'I don't get it...I'm the carrier of the avatar of winter...how is she cold while I'm warm? This doesn't make sense. Whatever...feels nice.'_

* * *

I turned my music back on and Vinyl turned around to talk to Luna. I wasn't paying attention but I did hear them laugh a few times. No doubt Vinyl had told her about my drunken stupidity earlier today, as well as a few other choice things. Their laughter was music to my ears. Well I already had music playing, but I guess it was like double-music or something. A few minutes later and I could hear the soft snores of Vinyl beside me. Without opening my eyes, I pulled her closer, which she sighed again and nuzzled into my side while wrapping a hoof around me. I nearly fell asleep when I began to feel a hoof stroking my chest softly. I looked to see Luna staring at me with a wry smile.

"What?" I asked with confusion.

She shook her head. "Nothing Steel. I am just glad that you are here."

I pulled her close to me, feeling her cool skin against mine again. "I'm glad too, love," and I leaned in for a kiss. She met me halfway and pressed her soft lips to mine. She let loose a very soft moan before breaking away and smiling.

She nuzzled into my neck. "I missed that, Steel."

"It's only been a day, Lulu." I chuckled out.

She pouted cutely. "And? I cannot miss your kisses after only one day?"

I kissed her again and smiled. "I'd be offended if you didn't, actually."

She hummed happily while burying her face in my mane and I closed my eyes again, falling asleep a few minutes later, with my love in my arms.


	25. Ch 22: Inner Demons

**A/N: We have an important chapter here, one that's going to start leading into the impending war. You'll notice the general tone of the story is going to change a bit, but I promise it's a good change. As always, R&R and let me know what you thought.**

**To FireBreath5150 - **_**Nah, I don't think I could handle that for two reasons. First, I don't **_**like **_**all the mares in Equestria. Second, human or equine, women are still women. I can only take so much before I lose my mind in a sea of estrogen.**_

**To Israeli Pizza - **_**RD: Well I wasn't too happy about it, to be honest. I mean he's told me he's done some dumb things before, but giving yourself brain damage isn't cool. As far as 'Shy, I don't see her and Steel getting together. They're good friends, but neither one of them seem to be really "feeling" it. It's okay though, because I'm pretty sure 'Shy has her eyes on Moonfang. It's just taking him a ridiculous amount of time to make a move. Maybe I'll have to have a talk with him...**_

**To Ausarheart - Portal gun? No fair...WANT!**

**To hunter - **_**Well bud, I'm not entirely sure. I guess whoever goes into season first when I feel I'm ready to be a dad. I will say that both Pinkie and Twilight seem really excited about it, so I wouldn't be surprised if it was one of them first. I'm just worried that if I have a foal with Twilight, it's going to make me feel like an idiot when it gets older. That would be one hell of a smart colt/filly.**_

**Another chapter, another day. No idea how I write this fast without getting blisters or something on my fingertips. Oh well, I'm not complaining. Anyhow, I hope you all have enjoyed the story thus far, because it's going to start taking a darker more serious tone as the war gets closer.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters associated with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, nor the original story.**

* * *

Chapter 22: Inner Demons

"Steel...Steel wake up," whispered a soft, angelic voice.

I opened my eyes to see Celly awake and smiling at me. Where normally I would be groggy from sleeping in such an awkward position, I leapt out of the chair next to the hospital bed and hugged the beautiful alicorn as gently as I could, while still making sure she knew I missed her.

"Celly...we missed you so much." I said softly, so as not to hurt her wakening sense of hearing. I then made contact with the girls in the waiting room. _'Girls, the princess is awake! Come and see her!'_

A minute later, eight ponies rushed in to see the princess - the Elements plus Luna and Shining Armor. They all burst into bright smiles upon seeing their friend and princess awake and well, and a few even had tears in their eyes. It was a heartfelt reunion for the ages, and Twilight and Luna were happier than I'd ever seen them.

After a quick sign out, we all headed back to the palace. Celly used the excuse that her legs were stiff so that she could lean on and nuzzle me the whole time, which I didn't mind in the slightest. We talked quite a bit about what had transpired since she had been out, and Celly just listened quietly with a smile on her face...one I had missed more than I realized.

* * *

We arrived back at the palace at around noon, and we all giggled when Celly's stomach didn't growl, but roared. We all couldn't help but laugh at her body's hunger. That being the case, we all headed to the banquet hall to get some lunch. The alabaster alicorn princess would keep stealing looks at me when she thought I didn't notice, and I could tell she wanted to say something.

"Celly, I know something's on your mind. Talk to me." I whispered in her ear softly.

She sighed and closed her eyes. "I dreamt nearly the entire time I was unconscious."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What about?"

She bit her lip and looked away. "...you..."

I was suddenly interested, for obvious reasons. "Really now? About anything in particular?"

"Everything..." she said simply.

I was confused. "I don't follow, Celly."

She sighed again and replied in a low voice, "I mean everything, Steel. I saw everything from now until the end of time..."

"Wow...really? You do know you were only out for two weeks, right?" I said with a smirk.

She ignored my remark. "Steel, I saw our foals..."

"I can honestly say I wasn't expecting that...at all..." I said with a now blank faced stare. This conversation was quickly getting a lot deeper than I would have liked for a simple walk home...

Things had went pretty smoothly these past two weeks, other than whispers of gryphon movement along Equestria's northern border. Luckily I had ordered a regiment of some of the guards I trained to keep watch, and things had quieted down since then. I knew full well that panic would be the enemy right now, so I was more than happy that Celestia had returned. The ponies needed their princess to reassure them.

We finally made our way to the banquet hall, and by now my mouth was watering. I hadn't eaten since the day before, much to the dismay of my stomach. I sat down and was served a salad with tofu and mushrooms, so I dug in with earnest.

**Perspective change - Pinkie Pie**

I stared at him, forcing a smile. He seemed so happy nowadays, but inside I was just a hurricane of different emotions. Jelousy that he seemed to spend more time with Celestia the past week than anypony else. Suspicion that he was hiding something. Anger at myself for questioning him...

But nopony's _that_ perfect.

He _had _to be hiding something. He said it himself that it's okay to be sad, or mad, or scared...but all he ever seems to be is happy. I didn't get it. I thought about asking my friends for help, but I didn't want to do that unless I was sure. _'I guess I'm on my own...again.' _I started feeling seething anger at my friends, but I brushed it aside. It wasn't their fault...they trusted him too much. I planned to ask him about everything that night.

* * *

The day went pretty quickly, since I spent most of my time with Dashie. It had been a long time since her and I could just be alone together, and I could honestly say I missed it. It was almost like when she first came to Ponyville...when it was just me and her. Even when Fluttershy was around, it was still great. I loved Fluttershy, she was one of my bestest friends ever. She was so nice and sweet, and she was a great friend. I missed this a lot now...but Dashie told me it would be okay. She was right. She always made time for me. We played like foals in the snow for the longest time before getting tired, and before we knew it the sun was starting to set. I waved goodbye to my friend and walked back to the palace.

It took awhile even with how fast I was, but I got to the palace right before the sun set. I saw Steel walking down the hallway towards me, and I smiled as best as I could.

"Hi Pinkie! By Celestia, I've missed you." He said before wrapping me in a big hug. _'Oh...this is gonna be hard now.'_

I looked up at him trying to keep a straight face. "Steelie? Can we talk?"

Just by how his face changed, I could tell he knew something was wrong. "Uh, sure Pinkie. What's going on?"

Now I started to feel bad. This was going to be harder than I thought. "Um...I'm really sorry Steel..."

Now he was nervous. "Pinkie, what are you sorry for? Did you do something?" he said in a tone that reminded me of my mommy.

I composed myself as fast as I could and sighed to keep from crying. "Steel, I have to ask you something...and I'm really sorry if it sounds bad. I'm just so confused..."

**Perspective change - Steelbreaker**

"Confused about what, Pinkie?" I said, now feeling equally confused.

She shifted nervously and let a tear slip down her face. She looked up at me with those beautiful blue eyes. "Steelie...why are you so happy all the time? I mean, it doesn't make sense."

_'Ugh...this again...'_ "Pinkie I thought I already explained this to you girls. I get sad and mad just like any other pony, remember?" I said softly.

She shook her head. "Well if you do, you never show it. Why? What are you so afraid of?"

That struck a nerve for some reason, and I instantly changed from calm to frustrated. "Who said I'm afraid of anything at all? I'm not!" I yelled. I instantly felt bad when the Pink mare cowered on the ground in fear. "Oh no, Pinkie I'm so sorry...I didn't mean to yell."

She jumped up off the ground and glared at me. Now I was on the defensive. "Then tell me why you're so afraid to show how you're really feeling! Are you afraid of being weak or something?" she yelled back, gritting her teeth.

I took a step back and was about to reply, when I realized I had nothing to reply with. She was right...I was afraid. I was afraid to show weakness, because I knew I couldn't afford to be weak in any way...not if I was going to save my friends. I realized that the very idea was stupid, because that didn't make what I perceived as weakness disappear.

I looked at the little earth pony before me and dropped my eyes from her gaze. "You're right, Pinkie...I _am _scared. I'm scared of being weak."

She gasped and actually sat down in shock. "Steelie, why are you afraid?"

I wanted to look her in the eye, but my neck wouldn't respond. I was too ashamed at myself... "Because Pinkie, I can't afford to have weaknesses. Our enemy is plotting against us right now for the upcoming war that could start at any time. _My _weakness could mean _your _death or capture. I am not going to let that happen..._ever_."

"You don't have to do this alone, Steel. You _can't_ do this alone." said a soft voice from behind me. I turned to see Celestia and Luna with somber expressions. The didn't say any more...all three of the mares walked up and hugged me. It was too much to handle, and I collapsed in tears.

**Perspective change - Celestia**

It had only been a few hours since I had been awake, and already Steel was brought to tears. He seemed to take so much responsibility upon himself that it was quite literally breaking his mind. I was at first unsure of whether it was simply his personality or the Element he harbored, but it was destroying him from the inside out. I had heard stories of the past bearers of the Elements of War. Assassin and Berserker killed each other...and Guardian suffered from insanity. I was now very worried about the effect the Element was having on him. Though an alicorn, it was times like this that reminded Luna and I of how young he was, no matter how rare these occurances may be.

'_All power has its price...'_

While he was still weeping openly(prompting questioning looks from the guards), we made our way down the hallways to his room. He lay down on the bed and curled into a ball. I looked at Luna with a face of understanding and she nodded.

"I will return later, dear sister. Please watch over him." she said with a small smile.

I nodded and smiled back. "I will Luna. Go to court...I have this covered, I promise."

She nodded and left the room, leaving just Pinkie Pie and I to tend to Steel. I began softly stroking his mane when I noticed his horn was glowing softly. I wondered what spell he was casting, but then I noticed his coat began to darken. His mane also became darker, larger...and more menacing. The process took only a few seconds to complete, and he was now no longer his bright and shiny silver...he was a dark, ruddy color more akin to blackened rusted iron.

"Steel," I said as softly as I could, "you might want to take a look at yourself."

He looked down at his hooves and barely reacted at all. "What happened to me?"

I didn't immediately have an answer, but thought of something that might make sense. "Steel, what kind of clothing did you wear on Earth?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Depended on how I was feeling that particular day, I guess."

Now I understood perfectly. "Steel, I believe your subconscious has altered your appearance to match your mood."

"Great...so my subconscious has turned me in to a mood ring. That's just awesome." he said with no small amount of sarcasm.

I suppressed the urge to giggle and instead crawled over him, laying down where he could see me. I placed a kiss on his nose and smiled. "Steel I can't pretend to know what you're going through, because in all honesty I don't. I will let you know that I will never leave your side, especially when you need me." and with that I hugged him tightly. I felt him relax against me, and his hooves snaked around my waist.

"Thank you, Celly. That...that means a lot to me." He then looked at the Pink mare who had been silent the whole time. "C'mere Pinkie, I want you here too." She smiled and jumped onto his chest, giggling. The young pony did have a way of cheering him up, and while he wasn't as lively as usual, he pulled her into a hug and kissed her softly. He then turned to me and did the same, and I felt the love in it. He may have not been the happiest stallion at the moment, but I could tell it was not because of us...and that made me feel somewhat better.

Some time had passed and somewhere during that time, I had fallen asleep. I knew this because the next thing I knew, I felt Luna's feathers caressing my shoulder. I opened my eyes to see Luna draping her wing over the four of us and Steel was still wide awake, a look of deep thought gracing his face.

"Steel?" I whispered softly.

He turned to me and smiled, albeit a bit sadly. "Yes beautiful?"

I couldn't help but blush. Even when he himself is not feeling at his best, he always gives to others, trying to spread happiness...even when he has none for himself.

"Do you think we will come back from this war?" I said carefully. In all honesty, the war had been on my mind a lot. I had never ruled during war-time, let alone fought in one. That and my father was taken by a war. I felt an emotion that seemed foolish for what my subjects saw as a wise and benevolent ruler - fear. I was afraid for myself...and for those I cared about. I feared for my land, and for my subjects. I began to understand just how easily fear could drive a pony mad. I was dragged from my worries by Steel pulling me close to him.

"I will make sure you come back from this alive and well. All of you. Your sister, all our friends...everyone. That much I can promise you. No, I Pinkie promise...and no one ever breaks a Pinkie promise." he said with a genuine smile.

I began to see some of the color to his coat restore, and he looked just a little brighter. It seemed that while his Element put a great deal of strain on him, it also offered him a confidence and strength that he should not normally have. I still did not know if this was him or the Element speaking to me, however. All the same, I felt safer and less fearful with his words.

**Perspective change - Steelbreaker**

I felt so broken...so _vulnerable_. I hated the feeling, but I didn't know how to purge it from my mind. Being with my girls or my friends made it better, which is why I hated being alone. When I was alone, I couldn't escape my thoughts. There was nothing to distract me, and nothing to save me from myself. It felt like being in a deep hole with no way out unless I had help. So long as I had my loved ones, it all worked out fine. The very thought of losing them because I couldn't be strong enough was tearing me up, though.

The enemy was strong...stronger than I had first realized. The enemy was smart, and well versed in the art of war. It was at that moment that I started to realize something...something I had tried to avoid at all costs for both my sake and the sake of those I cared about.

I might not be coming back from this war.


	26. Ch 23: Breeding Fear

**A/N: Fun chapter, W00! We command the to read and enjoy! We know you will anyway, but still. Anyhow, R&R and let us know what you thought.**

**To Israeli Pizza - **_**PC: I can't say I necessarily agree that a war is the answer to this, but gryphons are stubborn and proud. Their morality and values are much different from ours, and while I abhor violence, I will fight to protect my ponies. Luna feels much the same way, although it took longer to convince her to fight back. Contrary to popular belief, my sister does not enjoy violence...but like myself will participate in it to protect those she cares for. Steelbreaker has advised us this will be dangerous for everypony involved. I am worried, but this must be done for our future as a society on this world.**_

_**DF: I've actually already made something like that for myself. I mean there's not going to be much use for it in an actual battlefield, but I did make one just for the hell of it. Turned out pretty well, I might add. I might use it for covert ops or something like that if this becomes a long drawn out war.**_

**To wolfoftheabyss5 - Well I'm glad you enjoy the story. As far as Vinyl Scratch and Steel, I guess you'll just have to read on, won't you? Maybe it's coming, maybe it's not...I don't know. /trollface**

**To DAS WUNA - You like my story? That is awesomesauce. **

**1. I've actually had that planned for this chapter. Are you a wizard?**

**2. Only if you have an endless supply of Warheads sour candies and peppermint Schnapps.**

**To kyo - Thanks, and I will. Yeah as you can see the perspective change is needed for a first-person story, otherwise you have no idea what anyone but one character is thinking or feeling. Anyhow, check back every few days for updates!**

**To Ponydiscord - Yeah I liked how it turned out though. This chapter will kick things up a bit, so I'm sure you'll like it. Enjoy.**

**To Guest - Well thanks a lot. The next chapter is coming...well...now, actually.**

**To hunter - **_**SB: I'm sure I could come up with such a spell, but in all honesty I don't want to mess with something as important as a pony's lifespan. That's kinda forbidden territory for me. As far as possible foals with Pinkie, I think it'd be great. I mean sure she can be intense sometimes, but I've seen her with the Cake's foals and she'll make a great mother one day. I'm just hoping if we ever do have foals together that they're as fun as she is.**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters associated with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, nor the original story.**

* * *

Chapter 23: Breeding Fear

I was so exhausted. I hadn't slept the previous night, no matter how hard I tried. Now that Pinkie had "awakened" my own insecurites, the stress of what was to come was starting to wear on me. After losing two sisters when I was a teen, I had become careless with my own life...sometimes destructively so. My loyalty became no longer to myself, but to my loved ones. It was at this moment that I decided that I needed to make sure everyone would come out of this war alive, including myself. If not for myself, then for those I care about.

Sometime during the night, Vinyl and Twilight had joined me in bed. Without even noticing it, I was absentmindedly rubbing their backs in an attempt to calm _my own_ nerves. Of course simply being around them did make me feel better, and while I was still stressed, my coat had turned back to its normal color. I was happy again and I had come to terms with my own fears...partly because I resolved to now put it in the enemy.

After all...fear is the enemy of any army. I just had to figure out what a gryphon fears.

* * *

**Perspective change - Vinyl Scratch**

I woke up to find myself spooning with Pinkie. Thankfully I had woken up in stranger situations, so I didn't freak out or anything, but that still left the question as to where Steel had gone. In his place was Princess Celestia. It was still kinda weird waking up in the same bed as her, but hey...things could be stranger.

I groaned and rolled over, dropping off the soft mattress and onto the ground. After that, I grabbed my shades and put them on, because I didn't feel comfortable with many ponies seeing my eyes. I had a pair of neon crimson eyes that after all these years I was still kinda self-conscious about. Lyra had seen them...but that was an accident. Just thinking about this was bringing back memories of all the teasing I used to get back in school. When I put these on, I didn't have to be Vinyl anymore...I could be a different pony. I could be DJ P0N-3. I took one more look at the ponies still sleeping, grabbed Steel's mp3 player, and left.

Steel had taught me a spell that let me control his music player like he did, so I put on my headphones and turned on some music he called "hardstyle". It was still nighttime as I walked around the palace, which was odd because this would make the _first _time I've gotten up before the sun did. I decided to check out the palace grounds, and so I calmly walked towards the gardens.

* * *

It had been an hour or two since I started to take a stroll around the place, and the princess had already raised the sun. For the first time in a long time, I got to see a sunrise. I was enjoying this simple beauty to life when I heard the sound of metal clanging against metal from the direction of the guard's barracks. Interested as to why they were training this early, I headed over there.

I walked through the stone archway to find Steel training with...Darkflight? And they were using real swords...cool! I couldn't help it and I found myself sitting down a ways away so I could watch them. Darkflight was using a sword that was easily the size of me, and I wondered just how strong he must be to even be able to lift it...but he was swinging it around as if it were nothing. Dark was clearly stronger and faster than Steel, and I started to get worried that he would hurt him. Steel was just barely hanging on with his own swords that were being held with magic, but then I saw his horn begin to glow brighter. I saw his aura of magic extend out from his horn as he was fighting, until it covered a huge area around them. And then...I heard the ground start to crack. Dark fell to his hands and knees like something was holding him down, and he couldn't lift his sword. All of the sudden, a giant crater formed around where they were standing, as if something really heavy just hit the area. Steel's eyes started glowing brighter, until they were completely gold now. After a few seconds of this, the aura disappeared, and Steel collapsed on the ground.

* * *

**Perspective change - Luna**

I woke to the sound of what sounded like an earthquake, and violent shaking that seemed to be coming from beyond the gardens, near the guard's training grounds. At that moment, Tia burst in the room with a panicked expression on her face.

"Luna, I think we're under attack! Gather the guards and get to the barracks!" she said quickly.

I nodded and sped off to gather the full Celestial Guard - our most elite of guards. I then followed my sister towards the plateau where the guards trained. When we reached it, we found Steel being helped up by Darkflight and Vinyl Scratch...and they were in the middle of a massive depression in the ground.

"Steel," I said with a hint of panic, "what has happened here? Are you okay?"

He nodded and smiled. "I'm fine, Luna...just fine. I'm just a little tired is all because that spell took a lot out of me."

I was confused. "What spell are you speaking of?"

He looked around him and chuckled. "The spell that caused this. Sorry about that, by the way. I guess it's a good thing there's nothing to damage out here. I didn't know it was going to be that strong, I'd never used it before."

"I am confused as well, Steel. What spell did you cast exactly?" Tia said, now less panicked.

He grinned and sat down. "A spell that manipulates gravity. Now that the war is coming, I'm starting to experiment with more battle-worthy spells. This spell for example is great for keeping enemies that can fly on the ground, which in turn makes the fight that much easier. Also depending on how strong I make it, it can change from being a simple spell that grounds them to being a spell that can crush them. I'll have to practice more and get a better feel for it before I'll be ready to use it on the battlefield, though."

I found it unnerving that he was dabbling in manipulating the physics of our world, but he assured me that the effects were not permanent. This relieved me somewhat, as for some reason my mind conjured a fear that somehow his spell would pull my moon upon our world. A silly fear, but a fear nonetheless. What frightened me now was the fact that he was so visibly weakened just from using one spell. _'I do hope he trains to overcome this...'_

* * *

It was midday by the time we made it back to our palace, so all of us joined Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and the rest of the Elements in the dining hall for some lunch and tea. I could not help but giggle as Steel was brought to the ground by Rainbow Dash, who he had not seen in days. They hugged tightly and then Rainbow Dash, in a rare display of public affection, kissed him. This prompted giggles from all the others within the area, including a few of the palace staff.

**Perspective change - Rainbow Dash**

I found myself lost in a kiss with Steel and couldn't help but stare at him a little dreamy-eyed...I missed him. Just a few days away seemed like forever. I then quickly realized that everypony was staring at us, and I blushed in embarrassment and jumped off of him. Rarity was laughing at me, and I glared at her. She just smiled a coy little smile and turned away to face Spike. I was kinda surprised that Spike finally got his wish to be with her, even if she was almost thirteen years older than him. Still, he was a lot taller now - taller than her - and had matured a lot over the years. He even wanted to join the military to help us fight, but Twilight told him no.

I was snapped out of my thoughts by the feeling of Steel grabbing me and placing me on his back, and I couldn't help but breathe in his scent as I wrapped my hooves around his neck. He smelled like the air right before snow...that crisp, cold scent that made my nose tingle. We all walked to the large table to sit down, and just in that short distance, I almost fell asleep. Luckily I woke up when Steel levitated me off and into my chair across from him, and I was happy to see roasted carrots and a small salad already waiting for me. I ate like a wild animal...I was _so _hungry after training. I could hear AJ giggling at me, but I didn't care at the moment...my stomach had blocked out all forms of embarrassment at this point. Luckily for me I finished quickly, so I sat back into my chair with a very contented look on my face.

"Ah...much better." I said with a smile. I looked over at Princess Celestia with a grin. "Thanks a lot, princess. That hit the spot."

She giggled and waved a hoof in dismissal. "You are most welcome Rainbow Dash but please, you may simply call me Celestia. There is no need for formality among friends."

I had to admit, it felt a little strange not having to address the princesses as royalty, but I knew she was right. We weren't just subjects to her anymore, we were friends. _'Now if I could just get to be friends with Spitfire and Soarin, I'd be set.'_

We all finished lunch and went our separate ways. The princesses both had work to do with things starting to pick up as far as the war, so they stayed at the palace today. AJ headed towards the training grounds with Dark, while I flew back towards Cloudsdale to finish work.

"Hey Rainbow Dash!" said a voice from behind me. I turned around to see a gray pegasus with a blonde mane and tail flying towards me. I thought it was Derpy at first until I saw her eyes, and then noticed this must be her twin sister Steel had told me about.

I smiled and waved. "Hey...Ditzy, right?"

She nodded and flew closer. "Hey there, Commander Steel told me I should meet you. I hear you're the fastest thing in the air around here."

I couldn't help but puff out my chest a little bit with pride. "Yep, that's me! So what's up, Ditzy?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Not much. I was just coming over here to ask if you were going to join up."

I nodded. "Of course I am. I wouldn't let my friends go in without me! Besides, I've got a really cool set of armor that Celestia made for me."

Her eyes widened in shock. "You mean Princess Celestia personally made you a suit of armor?"

I nodded again, this time with a little more pride showing. "Yep! It pays to be friends with a princess. Why don't you come by my place? I'll show you." She nodded and we sped off towards my cloud home.

* * *

We landed a few minutes later and I opened the door and walked in, Ditzy following me. I leaned down near my couch to stroke Tank's shell and he greeted me with a smile. We then walked to my room and I heard a gasp from behind as my armor came into view. Rarity had been nice enough to donate one of her ponyquins for me to keep it on, and it looked _awesome._

"What is this? I've never seen armor like this before..." said the gray mare.

I giggled and walked over to her next to the armor. "It's because it's one-of-a-kind. Celestia said it's made of something called 'magesteel'. It's a magical metal that's stronger than diamonds."

She then frowned. "Okay this is cool and all, but how would you ever fly in this? It must weigh a ton!"

I grinned. "Well why don't you try it on and tell me how heavy it is?"

She nodded and got to putting on the plated armor to her legs, body, head, neck, and stomach. She then looked confused. "It doesn't feel like it weighs anything...what's up with that?"

I giggled. "The princesses put some kind of enchantment on it to where it's not any heavier than clothing. Makes it so that I can protect myself, but still fly fast."

She nodded and removed the armor, placing it back on the ponyquin. "Wow Rainbow Dash, I'm afraid of what you're gonna do to those gryphons."

We shared a laugh and headed back outside for some more flying time. Now that I was getting to know her, Ditzy was pretty cool. We flew around for a few hours before laying down on a cloud to rest.

She let out a sigh. "So Dash, what are your thoughts on the Commander?"

I shrugged. _'Haha...she has no clue! Oh, I'm gonna have some fun with this...'_ "I mean Steel's pretty cool. Why, you wanna date him or something?"

She blushed and stuttered out, "N-no, I didn't mean it like that. I mean he's really nice and all, I'm just not in a place in my life for a relationship with anypony right now. Maybe after this war is over, I'll think about it. Besides, our first meeting left me with a little reminder. He's a little scary sometimes." she said while pointing to a scar on her neck.

All of the sudden I found myself angry at Steel. "What did he do to you?" I nearly screamed out. "Nopony is gonna get away for hurting another pony for no reason."

She looked at me shocked and placed a hoof on my shoulder. "Dash, calm down. It happened during training, and I learned a good lesson from it. This little mark will always remind me to not underestimate my opponent...no matter who it is. I promise Dash, he did it for a good reason and I don't blame him for it. He had to show me that the mistake I made could have gotten me killed."

I relaxed when she told me of the first day she trained with him, and how he held his sharp horn against her neck...which is how she got the scar. Then I felt like a foal. I knew Steel wouldn't hurt anypony for no reason, it's not in his nature. I had to kept reminding myself that he came from a different world. He came from a world where violence and killing was completely normal. He always told us about how much he hated that about his world, but that didn't mean he wasn't used to it. I let it go when I understood why he did it. Likely he'd have to do similar things to me in my training if I slipped up. _'Ugh...training is gonna _suck!_' _

* * *

**Perspective change - Steelbreaker**

I had decided to take a nap in the gardens after some more training with my spells. Over the past few weeks, I could feel myself slowly getting stronger. I just hoped when the time came that it would be enough. I was drifting in and out of consciousness until I was startled awake by someone laying down next to me. I turned to see Lyra, and I couldn't help but smile and hug her tight. She had been gone longer than she expected because of the carriages shutting down during a slight panic caused by gryphons moving around. Thankfully she was back now, and I was glad she was safe.

I gave her a kiss on her forehead and held her against my chest. "Lyra, I'm so glad you're okay. I missed you...we all did."

She giggled and nuzzled into my chest. "I missed you all too, Steel. Especially you. How have things been?"

I shrugged and smiled. "Eh, not bad. I'm making new spells for this war, Dark is making new armor and weapons, and Vinyl's making new music. Other than that, same old same old."

"Well that's good. Say, do you feel like getting something to eat? I'm starved." she said as her stomach growled. I nodded and we headed out to the city.

I had taken to wearing my royal regalia when in public in Canterlot, as otherwise I would be bombarded with questions from the cityfolk about who I was and whether I was a prince, and so on and so on. The royal wear took care of both of these problems, so I didn't feel weird wearing it around here. Besides, I just loved seeing the looks of surprise whenever I would bring Lyra or my other girls - who the ponies around here considered "common" - out to a nice restaurant or park for the day. Being a prince does have its perks.

We walked towards a place I had come to enjoy called _Blue Surf. _The tastes of the place were similar to Japanese and Hawaiian, and because of that I had come here a lot over the time I started staying here. I got to know the owner - an old vivid blue unicorn stallion named Coral Crash - and made his business that much more popular to the nobleponies simply by eating there. He tried a few times to give me a free meal, but I turned him down saying that I wanted to be treated as just another customer. After he got over the whole "royalty" thing, we became fast friends. He reminded me a lot of my late grandfather - who interestingly enough was Hawaiian - and the ponies of Canterlot would often find me in my off time simply enjoying a drink and listening to the old pony's stories of his past. He'd lived a _long _time, and coincidentally used to live on one the islands south of Equestria before the island became sovereign. After I'd become comfortable enough with him to confide in him who I really was and where I was from, we'd swap stories of our lives.

As Lyra and I entered the restaurant, Coral was there to meet us. "Steel! It's great to see you, as always. How ya been, boy?"

I chuckled and shook his hoof. "I've been great, Coral. Sorry I haven't been back in awhile, thing's have become kidna hectic."

He waved a hoof at me. "It's no problem, Steel. I heard all about what's going on to the north, and I know just how busy that can make you. That's okay though, because I'll always have a place here for you to rest and unwind. You two eat yet?"

I chuckled and shook my head. "Nope, that's why we're here. This is my dear Lyra. It'll be her first time eating here." I said while gesturing to the pale green unicorn next to me.

She stuck out a hoof and and shook Coral's hoof. "It's good to meet you, sir. Steel talks about your restaurant a lot, so I figured I'll try it out and see what all the fuss is about."

The aged stallion let out a hearty chuckle and motioned to a booth in the corner. "Well then take a seat. I'm pretty positive you won't be disappointed, young mare."

We nodded and made our way over to the corner booth to sit down. A young white pegasus mare fluttered over and handed us menus. "Hello there again prince, it's always a pleasure to have you here. And who's this?" she said while gesturing to Lyra.

I smiled and placed a foreleg around Lyra, hugging her tight. "This is Lyra Heartstrings, my marefriend."

The server smiled and extended a hoof to shake Lyra's. "Well it's nice to meet you Miss Lyra. My name's Pearl. Have the two of you decided on some drinks to start with?"

We both nodded and gave Pearl our orders before she nodded and walked away to get them. Lyra turned to me with a smile. "You know Steel, this would be like only the second real date we've had."

I chuckled and kissed her forehead. "Does that mean I have to act awkward and stutter in nervousness? I'm not sure I can pull that off."

"No, I'm just saying. Besides, it's nice. With you training so much, I hardly get to spend time with you anymore." she said while nuzzling into my chest.

Pearl returned a moment later with a piña colada for me and a rum-cranberry-pineapple cocktail for Lyra. "Okay you two, are you ready to order?"

I nodded. "Sure are, Pearl. I'll have the grilled ginger haysteak with some kimchi, please. Lyra?" I finished while looking at the unicorn beside me.

"Umm...I don't know, what do you recommend, Steel?" she asked, a little nervous.

I grabbed the menu and scanned it quickly. "Okay, how about the sautèed mushroom soup with tofu and bean sprouts, and then some fried banana and grilled pineapple."

Pearl nodded and finished writing on her pad. "Okay you two, we'll have it out to you in a few minutes. Let me know if there's anything else you need." and with that, she sped off to the kitchen.

She returned about ten minutes later with our meals, piping hot and smelling oh so good. I was about to dig in when I noticed Lyra staring at my plate

Lyra leaned over and took a whiff, and scrunched her face up at the smell of the kimchi. "Ugh...what is _that_ Steel?"

I took a smile bite, chewed and swallowed, and smiled. "It's fermented cabbage, seaweed, carrots, radish, and onions with all kinds of spices. Trust me, you wouldn't like it. It's an acquired taste."

She shook her head and giggled. "You are going to be brushing your teeth before you kiss me again."

"Well I'll brush them twice if I get to taste those lovely, succulent lips of yours." I said in a very seductive tone.

She blushed madly and turned her eyes to her food and began eating. Her ears perked up and she smiled when she tasted the soup. "By Celestia, this is amazing! Now I feel like I've missed out all these years by never coming here before. I mean I _do _live in Ponyville, but still."

I chuckled and smiled. "You _have _missed out. This is the same kind of food I used to eat in my world, minus the meat and fish of course."

She nodded and continued eating, and I did the same to be sure I savored the lovely hot meal before me.

* * *

We finished eating in a few minutes and spent the next hour or so sipping drinks and talking with Coral. Lyra was just as interested in his stories as I was, and she was mesmerized when he spoke about how he used to surf and swim in the ocean. I had always loved talking to old people because they always had such great stories and wisdom from life. Coral Crash was no exception, especially with his life span being much longer than a human's.

Lyra stood up and headed to the washroom. Pearl had come by to clean off the table and she watched Lyra go. "Mmm...that is one _fine_ mare. How did _you _land _that_?"

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" I asked with a gasp.

She giggled and shook her head. "You're just one of the goofiest stallions I've ever met, which is saying something."

"Well you're right, but she loves that about me. So do all my other marefriends...princesses included." I said with a smirk.

Her jaw dropped open for a moment before she composed herself. "Wait a minute, you mean to tell me you're in with _both _princesses? As in not just one, but two?"

I nodded and chuckled. "Yep, guess they just can't resist all of this." I said while gesturing to myself.

Pearl rolled her eyes then giggled. "Well I'm not really into stallions so I can't say I agree, but they must see something. Still, you're a good friend so I guess you get points there."

I nodded and stood up to join Lyra as she left the washroom. "Well Pearl, it was good to see you again. I'll be back soon, okay? Stay out of trouble until then."

"Hah, trouble's my middle name." she said with a grin.

"And danger's mine, which is why we get along so well." I finished with a smirk. We waved goodbye to each other and I walked out with Lyra.

* * *

We arrived back at the palace in the late afternoon, and the sun was just about to touch the horizon. We both trotted up to my room and she lay down on my bed. Now that I'd had a few hours to let it marinate, the alcohol and kimchi was starting to leave a bad taste, so I quickly showered and brushed my teeth before stepping out of the washroom. I grabbed my brushes and gave my mane, tail, and coat a quick brushing before laying down next to Lyra.

She rolled over and straddled on top of me with a mischevious grin before leaning down to kiss me. I had forgotten just how soft her lips were so I savored it, pressing back into her which caused her to moan a little. She then pulled back and winked before leaning down again to continue.

* * *

"You have _got _to teach me that spell, Steel." said Lyra, a large grin plastered on her face.

I shook my head and grinned back. "No can do, hun. Trade secret."

She pouted cutely and looked up at me. "Oh fine then. Was worth a try."

We lay sprawled out on the bed next to each other, trying to cool down in the now unbearably hot room. I heard a knock on the door a moment later and the door opened to reveal Pinkie, Dash, Twi, and Celly. I smiled at all of them and beckoned them over to me. All but Celestia bounded over like little playful fillies and jumped on the bed, making me bounce up off it in response. Celly giggled and strode over to me, laying down on the other side of Lyra and I.

Celly looked at me and smiled. "Luna has night court tonight, so she won't be able to rest until around three in the morning."

I nodded. "You know after this war, I'd like you to train me in these royal duties and such so I can take over for you two sometimes. I may not be able to raise or lower the moon or sun, but I could at least sit through court so that you two could get more time to yourselves."

She nodded and smiled. "I was thinking the very same thing. Yes, that can wait though...your training of yourself and the guards is more important at the moment."

There was another trio of knocks on the door, and the door opened to show Vinyl. She walked in and closed the door behind her, before running and jumping on top of me. I responded with an "oof" and she giggled. I reached up and started to take her glasses off before she stopped me.

"Hey Vi, why don't you take your glasses off? I think you have beautiful eyes." I said with a gentle smile.

She looked nervous for a moment but then slumped a little and sighed. "Alright then, I guess I can do it around all of you. You're friends after all." She then proceeded to remove her shades and levitated them to the dresser across the room. She held her eyes closed for a moment before opening them, eliciting a gasp from everypony but myself and Lyra. She winced and started to hide her face in her hooves before a pink hoof stopped her.

"Don't hide, Vinyl. I think you have pretty eyes too. I like them a lot." Pinkie said in an uncharacteristically soft voice.

The other mares agreed and Vinyl broke out in a relaxed smile. "Thanks, all of you. I'm just a little self-conscious about them is all. I got teased a lot in school for these babies."

I leaned up and kissed her on the nose while placing a hoof on her cheek. "You don't have to be self-conscious around us, Vi. I'm from an entirely different world, but they all accept me. Just because you have eyes that are a rare color doesn't mean we'd ostracize you or something because of it, okay?"

She smiled and leaned down, planting a kiss on my cheek. "Thanks Steel...I needed that."

I smirked at her. "You did that wrong, Vi."

She looked at me, utterly confused. "Did _what_ wrong, Steel?"

I grabbed the back of her head and pulled her down to me. "This..." and with that, I planted a soft kiss on her lips. Her eyes rolled back in her head as her eyes closed, and she sighed happily. I released her a few seconds later and she sat up, smiling.

"It's about time." said a giggling Lyra beside me. "The tension was so high I could cut it with a knife."

I nodded. "Yeah I was gonna wait for her to make the first move, but I had to take matters into my own hooves...again."

We spent most of the rest of the night talking before one by one they all started to fall asleep. Before I knew it, it was just Vinyl, Pinkie, and myself left awake. Vinyl was listening to music and Pinkie was snuggling against me like she always did. I tried so hard to stay awake, but I felt my eyes working against me. Before I knew it I was in darkness, and I felt myself fall into a peaceful slumber.


	27. Ch 24: The Threshold of Hell

**A/N: Steelbreaker and Drew here, back and better than ever! A lot of tension in this chapter, and I just have a good feeling you'll like it. As always though, please R&R and let us know what you think.**

**To AstralElebit - Yep, I'll be introducing an OC in probably the next chapter after this one. Yay for whoever I choose! Still undecided...**

**To wolfoftheabyss5 - I'll definitely try to fit your OC in, but no promises. I've already got about five reader OC's to go through, so we'll see.**

**To FireBreath5150 - **_**SB: Messing with the laws of reality can always be dangerous, but I'm only affecting a small area by comparison, and the results are not permanent. As far as "friendly fire", yes...I've thought of this. That's why if need be, I'll be fighting on my own so that the only ones I'll hit are the enemy. I'd hate for my own soldiers to die because of a careless mistake of mine.**_

**To DAS WUNA - Cheese? Meh...not so interested. Now if you're the wizard of pepperminty goodness, then we have something. And I do have the happysex...and the angrysex. No lube here, we're goin' in dry and dirty.**

**To Ponydiscord - Thanks a lot, man. I'll keep the chapters coming your way.**

**To Ausarheart - I am a bit jelly of Steel...just grape jelly though, I haven't graduated to strawberry yet.**

**To Moonshine9012 - Thanks man. More chapters coming at ya right now. Love the pen-name by the way. Mmm...moonshine is nommy.**

**To hunter - **_**VS: Eh...I can't say I really feel like a "mommy" type of mare. Maybe later I'll warm up to it, but I'm not really feelin' it right now. Besides, you can't drink when you're pregnant. I don't know if I could do that.**_

_**SB: Well in all honesty, I don't plan this kinda stuff ahead of time. I mean I would have just been fine with one girl. The triple-whammy of Twi, Luna, and Dashie kinda caught me off guard, but I could roll with that. As far as Pinkie, Lyra, and Vinyl, I'm not sure. They just kinda happened. I'm still trying to figure out what's so attractive about me to these ponies. I'm just glad I haven't had a gay stallion come on to me yet, because I'd have to hurt his feelings and turn him down right away. I don't roll that way.**_

**To AnOnBrOnY5 - **_**SB: Well of course I have...how do you think I got back to Earth to pick up Pinkie's presents? I certainly couldn't do it as an alicorn. That being said, I much prefer my new body. Being a human just feels...**_**weird **_**now.**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters associated with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, nor the original story.**

* * *

Chapter 24: The Threshold of Hell

I was having a wonderful dream about walking around the world's largest mint candy store. Pinkie Pie was there and everything was going great, until...

"Steel, wake up!"

I nearly jumped out of my skin, and proceeded to fall backwards off of the bed. Luckily the back of my head broke my fall with a resounding *thunk* against the granite floor. I heard what could only be Celestia giggling at me, and I just groaned in annoyance and a little pain. I opened my eyes to see said princess standing in front of me with a massive grin on her face, obviously holding in torrents of laughter.

"Well dear, glad I could wake up in an entertaining way." I said with no small amount of annoyance.

She just rolled her eyes before walking over and nuzzling me. _'Dammit...I can't stay mad when she does that.'_ She saw my expression of frustration drop, and she giggled again.

"Alright fine Celly, you win." I mumbled softly before giving her a kiss on the cheek. "So what do you need me for?"

Her demeanor suddenly turned serious. "Steel, my scouts have reported that the gryphons look as if they're preparing to attack. There has been a lot of movement along the northern border with the Gryphon Kingdoms, and I fear for my ponies. I have already dispatched Captain Armor as well as a few more of your guards to the front line. I need you to join them in case this takes a turn for the worse."

I did not question her any further and immediately headed to the smithy to meet my brother.

* * *

"Hey Mace, what's up man?" I said as I approached the working dragon.

He smiled and wiped some sweat from his brow and turned to me. "Not much, dude. What's going on?"

"Well, the princess is sending me off to the northern border. Apparently those gryphons might be attacking any time now. You got those weapons and armor ready for me?" I said in a serious tone.

He nodded and walked back to the storage room, returning a moment later with a suit of gleaming armor. "Alright dude, so here's what I've done: I figured that you'd like to be able to fly while wearing this, so I used blue fire to temper the titanium. It's lighter and thinner than any armor I've made before, but don't let that fool ya...this stuff isn't going to be breaking anytime soon. All the same, I've tried to limit the armor to your vital areas of your body as well as your wings." He pointed to the wing armor. "This stuff is gonna slow you down a bit, but if one of those gryphons takes a swipe at your wings, you'll be glad you have it. You'll notice I added razor wing tips so that you can use it for offense as well as defense. Lastly, I added a magesteel horn cap for you, courtesy of the princess. I've heard stories of how much it hurts to get your horn broken off or even just fractured. This cap will still let you cast spells while protecting your horn." He then turned around and grabbed my swords and placed them in the scabbards on my back. "Alright dude, looks like you're set."

I shook my head. "Nah, I got to add some enchantments to this stuff first."

He showed an expression of mock offense. "What, is my work not good enough?"

"Nah dude it's fine, I just have some things I want to tweak." I said with a chuckle.

He raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Okay, what did you have in mind?"

"Well I was thinking an armor enchantment that will make the armor lighter as well as one that gives the illusion of a large frosty aura around me. Then, enchants on the swords to make them inflict a very large amount of pain." I said with a smirk.

He still looked confused. "Explain please..."

I rolled my eyes. "Alright, the armor enchants are pretty self-explanatory. The lighter armor will let me be faster, and the aura illusion will make me look more intimidating. As far as the swords, I don't want to use them unless I absolutely have to...and when I do, I want them to inflict more pain than damage. Hopefully the immense pain will make an enemy give up so that I don't actually have to do any major damage to them. War or not, I'd like to try and keep from killing anyone."

He sighed and shook his head. "I know you made a promise to that Lux chick, but do you really think you're going to be able to avoid that? Equestria or not, a war is still a war."

"Yeah I know, believe me. Soldiers always say that the first time you kill someone, a little part of yourself dies with the one you kill. I'm pretty sure I could handle that if it came to it. What I'm afraid of is how the ponies would react to having to watch another creature die, by my own hoof or theirs." I said glumly.

He nodded and started to suit up. "Well I'm coming with you. I know the captain is there, but I don't know if the rest of those ponies are gonna be ready for this, and both of us had martial arts training in the past. I don't know what good it's gonna do _you_ now, but _my_ body layout is still pretty much the same."

I simply nodded and finished getting ready while he left to the back room again. After about twenty minutes he returned, wearing a black suit of armor that made him look like a tank. The armor was the same style as mine though, so I assumed it was also lighter than it looked. He was wearing his Yamato and Force Edge replicas as his weapons, and he looked _so _badass. I was just glad _I _wouldn't be the one fighting him. After taking about an hour to place the enchantments on my gear, - as well as a lightening enchantment on his - we took to the skies.

* * *

We arrived about twenty minutes later to find a regiment of around fifty very nervous pegasus and unicorn soldiers. Shining Armor was walking around his soldiers trying to reassure them as best he could, but I could tell it wasn't really working. None of these ponies had ever fought in a war before, and I could tell they were scared. When the group caught sight of us, their morale improved greatly. Many of them relaxed, and a few even sported smiles.

"Commander it's good to see you, although I wish it were under better circumstances." said Captain Armor with a smile.

I nodded and smiled back. "Well met, captain. What news have you received from the scouts?"

He gestured to the mountain range in the distance. "The gryphons are gathering in the mountains. In all likelihood, they're watching us right now. We have no idea why they haven't attacked yet."

I gazed at the mountain range and frowned. "Captain, no smart enemy is going to attack without gathering intel first. That's why they're watching us. They want to see what they're up against before they make a move. More than likely they're going to attack when we appear the most vulnerable...when we make camp and rest. So instead, we'll do that now and sleep in shifts. From what I've read, gryphons have much better sight in the dark than we do, so they'll likely attack then. We're going to wait until nightfall and act as if we're going to bed, and I'm betting that's when they'll attack. But of course since we know they're going to attack, we can be ready for them." I pointed to the hills surrounding us. "Captain, send most of the regiment away to hide in the hills and wait for my signal. The rest of us are going to be the bait." I pointed to Shining Armor. "Captain, you're taking field command of the unicorn elite." I then pointed to Ditzy. "Private Ditzy, I'm issuing a field promotion to corporal. You'll take command of the aerial troops."

Ditzy gasped and stuttered. "B-but Commander, I'm not ready for this! I have no idea what I'm doing!"

I smiled and patted her shoulder. "Corporal Ditzy, you know the battle formations as well as fighting tactics like you do your own hooves. I personally trained you with everything you need to know. I don't place my trust in a pony if I don't know if she's capable of doing the job. You can do this, Ditzy."

At my praise and belief in her, a look of fierce determination washed over her and she nodded and saluted. "Yes sir." She then flared her wings and turned to the pegusi around her. "Troops, you heard the commander. Move out!"

A large number of the pegusi flew off with Ditzy towards Ponyville before banking west towards Froggy Bottom Bog. I then turned to the captain and nodded. "Shining Armor, I'll need your help in this and that of your unicorn soldiers. The gryphons are a lot smarter than I thought, and so have likely found a way to avoid or get around magic. _Do not_ underestimate them, captain. Rely on your weapons if you find your magic is ineffective and remember to hit the flight muscles on their backs if you have a clear shot. Pinion is going to be is going to be very effective, since if you do it right it'll prevent them from flying." I then closed my eyes and sighed. "I'm not going to lie to you, captain, this is going to be more dangerous than the changeling attack on Canterlot. Gryphons are stronger and faster than us, so we'll have to outsmart them." I turned to the rest of the unicorns watching me. "Rely on technique, not power and you'll be fine. Don't fight alone, look for your comrades and fight together to overcome. One more thing..." I said before sighing again. "Keep your distance from me. The spells I might have to use could cause harm to all of you as well as the enemy...so no matter what, stay with the main group."

The group was a little unnerved, but nodded and took off, leaving just a few soldiers plus myself and my brother.

"What about me, dude?" said the black dragon.

I patted him on the shoulder. "There's no one else I'd trust to stay by my side. I need you here. Things are gonna get hairy if the plan doesn't work, and I'll need you to cover me. You got my back?"

He nodded. "I got you, man."

"Alright Mace. Get some sleep, you're gonna need it." I said with a smile.

He nodded and headed over to a tent to rest. The rest of the remaining soldiers followed suit, which left me to keep watch.

* * *

**Perspective change - Ditzy Doo**

I took my group back towards Ponyville before banking to the West towards Froggy Bottom Bog. From here there was no view of the mountains, which also meant we couldn't be seen either. Our mission had now become one of stealth, so we landed on the outskirts of the bog and walked through the trees the rest of the way to the hills surrounding the camp.

"Corporal!" said a voice from behind me.

I turned to see a young white pegasus colt with a nervous look on his face. "Yes private, what is it?" It still felt kind of weird being a superior officer all of the sudden, but if Steelbreaker had faith in me that was good enough.

The colt shifted nervously and spoke with an equally nervous voice of inquiry, "Are you _sure _this is the best thing to do? I mean, it just seems that we're out in the open here. Vulnerable even."

I nodded. "Yes private, that's true...but I trust the commander's judgment. We're outnumbered by a superior force, so we can't take them head-on. We have to be sneaky and cunning. There's a risk with any battle, but if we all do our job we'll make it through this." I then addressed the rest of the group. "All of you, remember your training. Follow the techniques and don't lose focus and we'll all make it out of this alive, I promise you. Now come on, we're almost there."

* * *

In a few more minutes we had reached the hilly area that Steelbreaker had gestured towards, and I was happy to see that it gave us a clear view of the entire camp as well as the air. It was the perfect vantage point to see exactly what's happening. I turned to a petite mare by the name of Silverwing. "Silver, you're going to be our scout. You're the fastest of us, so if anything should happen and we need to get info to the princess, that job goes to you." She nodded and I looked to the black stallion next to her. "Nightwing we all know how well you can see in the dark, so I'm going to need those eyes of yours when the light starts to fail. We have perfect placement here...the only thing that could mess this up is if they were to sneak up from behind us. That's where you come in. We have another four or so hours before nightfall, so get some sleep. You've got watch tonight." He nodded and started setting up a small tent.

It was safe to assume that Steelbreaker was right - these gryphons weren't going to attack during broad daylight, so other than two scouts keeping watch, the rest of us rested and relaxed for the inevitable battle to come. I tried to keep a clear head, but my mind kept wandering to thoughts of the commander. I had tried to avoid it for awhile now, but there was no denying I had a bit of a crush on my commanding officer. I pushed the thoughts aside again however - now was not the time for that. Maybe after the war is over and peace has returned, but right now losing focus could cost myself and my troops their lives. That was something Steelbreaker taught me. Even though at first I questioned his training style, he proved himself knowledgeable and caring. He was stern and sometimes - harsh even - when he trained me, but I realized I had become stronger because of it. He wanted me to survive...he wanted _all _of us to survive, and he trusted me to make sure I did my part to make sure that happened.

I wasn't going to let him down.

* * *

**Perspective change - Steelbreaker**

It had been an hour or two since our arrival, and I was sitting alone near the rear of the camp, keeping watch for any movement with a smile. Shortly after my brother had gone to get some sleep, I had noticed a small gryphon - who I assumed was one of their scouts - flying out in the open towards the mountains quickly. No doubt to advise his superiors of the change that's taken place in our camp. I couldn't help but grin.

"So, it seems everything's going according to plan." said a voice beside me.

I nodded. "Yeah, so far." I looked over to see a young female gryphon sitting beside me with a smirk on her face. I immediately jumped to my feet and cast a levitate spell on her, rendering her helpless in my grasp. "It was very foolish coming here alone. Do you have a death wish?" I growled.

I felt a twinge of regret when I saw fear in her eyes. "Whoa there, I don't want to fight! Please don't kill me!"

I probed her immediate thoughts and discovered she was telling the truth...at least about this. I released her, but still stood alert. "Explain yourself, gryphon..._now_. What's your name and what are you doing here?"

She gulped in nervousness, but nodded. "My name's Gilda, and I don't want any part in this war. Please believe me, I don't have anything against any of you ponies. I'm not part of the gryphon army and I don't want to hurt anyone!"

'_Wait a minute...'_ "Gilda? Like Rainbow Dash's ex Gilda?" I asked, now thoroughly confused.

She suddenly looked sad, but nodded. "Yeah, that's me. How do you know Dash?"

I couldn't help but smirk now. "Well, she's my marefriend."

"Oh...so she told you about me, huh?" she said, visibly worried now.

I shook my head. "Not really. She only said that you two used to be really close a long time ago, nothing more."

She seemed a bit relieved, but her nervousness was now replaced by guilt. "Yeah...that was kinda my fault. I acted like such a..." she trailed off, seeming to be searching for the word.

"If you're trying not to curse, don't worry about it. Cursing doesn't offend me." I stated dryly.

She nodded. "Well, I was such a bitch to her and all her friends. I was just so hurt that after a year of not seeing each other she seemed to just have moved on with new friends, a new life...new everything. I felt like old news, and I guess I kinda flipped a little." she finished, now looking at the ground. I couldn't help but notice a few tears dropping to the ground.

Sincere tears were a weakness of mine...I couldn't stand to see her cry. No matter what she'd done in the past, I was prepared to help her if she was willing to change. I sat down next to her and placed a hoof on her shoulder. She looked at me incredulously and I smiled. "Gilda if you're really as sorry as you seem to be, you should be telling that to Dash and her friends. I'm not the one of the ones you hurt, they are." She seemed to accept that and I continued. "Tell you what...if you're really serious about making amends to Dashie and her friends, I'll vouch for you." She smiled but I got close in her face and she stepped back. "But know this: if you return to your old ways, I'll be the one that personally kicks your sorry ass out of here...you get me?"

She calmed down and nodded. "Yeah...I got ya. I know I kinda lost Dash for myself...but I miss her so much as a friend. I want to...no, I _need _to make this right."

I removed my hoof and nudged her with a smile. "Well, I'll help you out if you're serious about this." I then withdrew to a stern look. "However, we're in the middle of what might be a battle soon. I'm not sure how you got to me without any of the other soldiers seeing you, but you should get out of here until we're done. Hmm...I have an idea. Wait one moment."

I then made contact with Celestia. _'Celly, it's me. Things are pretty quiet around here right now, but I'm worried about the rest of Ponyville. Send a few scouts to keep an eye on the wilds and mountains to the east. I'm just worried this might not be the entire force for the initial attack.'_

'_I am glad that everything is okay, Steel...and it is good to hear from you. Very well, I will send a few of my best pegusi scouts to patrol that area.'_

'_Thanks Celly. One more thing - a young gryphon by the name of Gilda has found me. Do you know of her?'_

'_I recognize the name, yes. If I remember correctly she was the young gryphon that Twilight wrote to me about in one of her past friendship reports. From the way I understand it, she acted rather ill-tempered towards the ponies of Ponyville, specifically Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.'_

'_That's her. She has come to me as a broken soul, Celly. She wishes to make amends with those she's wronged, but I fear at the moment my soldiers may mistake her for an enemy, and there is no safe haven nearby. Would you mind coming to collect her quickly so we can address this when the battle is done?'_

'_Very well, Steel. I trust you've explained to her that there will be no tolerance for her previous behavior, yes?'_

'_To a degree, yes I have. Thanks Celly, I owe you.'_

'_Yes Steel, you _do _owe me. I'll figure out your payment later.' _I could almost feel the smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth, and with that she closed contact.

I turned to Gilda and smiled. "Alright Gilda, Princess Celestia is coming to get you. She'll keep you safe until we can handle this."

She gasped in shock. "The P-Princess? Are you s-sure that's a good idea?"

I nodded and smiled. "Yes Gilda. I've explained the situation to her and she's going to help you out at my request. You'll stay in the palace until I return, and then we'll take care of this all, okay? Now then I'm sure I don't have to tell you that you need to compose yourself with the utmost respect for the rulers of Ponyville. That means bow unless told otherwise, don't speak unless spoken to, and for the love of Celestia, don't purposefully insult anyone there."

"I think I'll be too afraid to do anything like that. I'll be good, I promise. By the way I never caught your name." she said with a small smile.

I grinned and stood tall. "My name's Steelbreaker, first Prince of Equestria." She gasped and started to bow but I stopped her. "It's just a title, Gilda. No bowing to me please." She nodded and stood back up. It was at that moment that a flash of light blinded me, and I saw Celestia standing before me with a smile on her face.

She walked over and nuzzled me affectionately, and I returned the gesture. "Hello Steel. This must be Gilda, right?" she said while pointing at the young gryphon by my side. I nodded and Gilda proceeded to bow.

Celestia giggled. "Arise young Gilda. You will come with me to the palace. I have already prepared a room in the royal quarters for you." She then grimaced a bit. "I also know that your kind are carnivores. While it turns my stomach a bit, I understand that you cannot change what you are. There is a lake in the mountains to the northeast of Canterlot with plentiful amounts of fish for you to hunt."

The young gryphon nodded and smiled. "Thank you _so _much your highness. I'll make it a point to make up for my past here. I promise."

Celestia then smiled and placed her hoof on Gilda's shoulder. "I sense the sincerity in your heart. You are welcome here since you intend to repent and make amends for your past misdeeds." The white alicorn then turned to me and smiled. "Alright Steel, I will take care of her until you return." She then looked worried and kissed me on the cheek. "Come back to us, Steel."

I nodded and smiled. "I Pinkie promise, Celly. Take care of yourself. Gods willing we'll be back soon..._all _of us."

My beautiful princess then stood beside the gryphon and smiled one last time before disappearing in another flash of light. I looked upon the horizon as my vision cleared to find that the sun was just barely kissing the horizon.

Oh, this was going to be fun...


	28. Ch 25: Into the Jaws of Oblivion

**A/N: Hey everyone, we have another chapter coming at you like a freight train filled with an orgy with a stick of butter glued to the front! Had a lot of fun writing my first fight scene, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Please R&R and let us know what you thought!**

**To wolfoftheabyss5 - **_**SB: I personally don't have a problem with gryphons as a whole. Who's to say the entirety of the Gryphon Kingdoms want war? Gilda didn't. It's not fair to the innocent to judge them by the stupidity of the majority. The humans of Earth have done that many times, and I won't make the same mistake.**_

**To AnOnBrOnY5 - Well I tried to make the fight as intense as I could. I could have gone with long and drawn out or short and really intense. I went with short simply because I'm better at it that way. Hope you enjoy!**

**To DAS WUNA - So many reviews! Argh! Overload of turned-on-ness at me! Can not take! Ooh...well that felt kind of nice...**

**To FireBreath5150 - **_**SB: Yeah, she was a bitch in the past. I'm also glad to know she is trying to turn over a new leaf, so to speak. Whether she can or not, only time will tell.**_

**To Moonshine9012 - Yes I have a big pointer that I see a lot of new writers screwing up out there: write for yourself, not for your intended audience. You have to be passionate about what you write, so write what you want to and in the way you want to. Readers don't respond to catering to them, as they can tell you aren't really feeling it. They respond to the amount of feeling you put into your story(ies). So, write about what you know and what you want to make happen. You'll know when you've found it, because it'll be all you can think about and the ideas will come to you like magic.**

**To hunter - **_**SB: I can't really say that a zebra is a different race. Still a pony after all. That being said, I can't really say I have a problem with race as a whole. After all, I was a human that was turned into an alicorn, and now is in love with six beautiful mares. I think problems with race kinda went out the window there.**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters associated with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, nor the original story.**

* * *

Chapter 25: Into the Jaws of Oblivion

"_Woe to you oh earth and sea, for the devil sends the Beast with wrath because he knows the time is short._

_Let him who hath understanding reckon the number of the Beast, for it is a human number._

_Its number...is six-hundred and sixty-six."_

I found myself sitting alone again as the sun sank lower below the horizon, quoting a line from one of my favorite songs. Even with everything that was riding on this battle - the future of Equestria and my life - I found myself strangely excited. I found it strange that with threat of death of myself and my comrades, I was not afraid.

I was ready.

As the sun finally passed the horizon and the moon rose behind me, I stood up and headed to my tent, feigning turning in for the night. I then made contact with all of the soldiers, my brother, and Shining Armor. _'Alright everyone, this is it. Prepare for contact. Remember ambush groups, watch for my flare before attacking. We have to draw them into a bottleneck or we could lose this battle. Ready weapons and wait for my command.' _I then closed contact with everyone except for my brother. _'Alright Mace, I'm counting on you. Find the commanding field officer and TAKE HIM DOWN!' _Satisfied with my orders, I then readied myself for the inevitable. As the last vestiges of the day died to make way for the night, I couldn't help but smile. I had reached the epitome of my purpose. Protect and defend, by any means necessary.

We waited...and waited...and waited some more. Some twenty minutes had passed and I began to doubt my strategy. It was at that moment I heard the soft, almost inaudible sound of wingbeats. Had I not been actively listening, I would have mistaken the sound for wind. _'It's a good thing we're prepared or they would have slaughtered us.'_ I smirked and focused my magic on my voice, twisting and manipulating it into something feral...something dark. I then let loose a loud, guttural growl. I heard a few gasps and I could now almost _taste_ their newfound apprehension in the air outside, so I ever so calmly stepped out to be met with over a hundred gryphons dressed in full armor. They eyed me with confusion before one stepped forward in more ornate armor than the rest, as well as a scarf. _'A field officer. Well that was easy.'_

"So, you've decide to bring yourself to us? That saves me the trouble of having to come get you. Have you come to surrender? It would be smart of you to do so." said the officer gryphon with a sadistic grin.

I made contact with my group. _'Alright camp team, get ready. Attack on my command.'_ I then looked up and smiled at the gryphon in front of me. "Arrogance is bred from ignorance...and your ignorance will get your fellow gryphons and yourself killed one day. Stand down, and you will not be harmed. I'll only ask once."

The officer barked a laugh and his troops joined him. After a minute or so of hearty laughter, it died down and he looked at me with that same sadistic grin. "I do enjoy when my prey has a sense of humor. Somehow it makes the meal taste that much better." The officer then lunged at me and embedded his claws in my shoulder.

I winced a little in pain, but didn't move. I then let show my own grin of sadism and spoke in a dangerously soft voice, "You should have run when you had the chance..."

I focused on my illusion enchantment, activating it. The air around me became filled with eerily gentle falling snow. The gryphon released me and stepped back to his troops with a look of confusion. I then focused Frostrender's power into my wings, feeling the sensation of cold flowing all throughout the feathers. I flared my wings and flapped hard, releasing a high-speed barrage of stinging sleet into the eyes of the entire front row of gryphons.

I then made contact with my team. _'Okay...NOW!'_

I heard the clopping of hooves and flapping of wings from everywhere, and was pleased to see my entire group converging on the much larger, but surprised small army of gryphons. While the officer gryphon was momentarily focused on the ambush, I drew my swords that I'd affectionately named Agni and Rudra with magic. I dashed forward and struck with the reverse blade swords at the neck of the leader. He saw me coming and dodged just in time, but the soldier behind him wasn't so lucky. The unlucky gryphon fell to the ground writhing in pain as the intense feeling of burning and electrocution overcame his body's pain receptors. I then charged headlong into the group, slashing my swords all the way, hitting those unfortunate to get in my way.

**Perspective change - Darkflight**

I stepped out of my tent to find myself surrounded by gryphons everywhere. Drew was fighting a small group of them like a maniac since they were surprised by our ambush. However, these things were well-trained, and were already recovering to defend themselves. These gryphons were big and powerful, easily larger and stronger than a normal pony. Still, I towered over them and knew I had them beat in strength. That and the fact that feathers catch fire very easily...

Three of them spotted me and one of them turned to his buddies. "DRAGON!" he yelled loudly.

I just smiled a toothy grin and shot flames out of my nostrils. Before any of the three in front of me could get away, I drew Force Edge from my back and slapped all three of them with the flat of the blade, knocking them to the ground. I then grabbed the one closest to me and threw him effortlessly into his two friends. As the three lay there disoriented, I sliced a wing off of each of them. They all screeched in pain and started to crawl away. I let them go...they were crippled now, and likely would not want to risk losing any other body parts. Suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my back, and turn around to see a gryphon tearing at the soft skin around my spines with its razor-sharp claws. I growled, sheathed my sword, and bathed my hands in a blue flame - hotter than molten rock, but harmless to the dragon that casts it. I then proceeded to rain flaming punches on the body of the attacker, leaving burnt feathers and flesh wherever my attacks hit. The creature howled in pain and tried to fly away. I shook my hands and extinguished the flames, then grabbed the fleeing gryphon and slammed him to the ground..._hard_.

It was then that I saw Drew getting overpowered, and I was blinded by a bright silver flare shot into the sky, lighting up the battleground.

**Perspective change - Ditzy Doo**

My troops and I had been watching the battle unfold and were shocked to see a large group of gryphons flying down from the mountain. It was then that we all saw the commander's signal.

I turned to my troops. "Alright, you all know what you have to do. We are to establish air superiority. If it's flying, get it to the ground and make sure it stays there. Ready? Move!" I shouted, and we took to the night sky.

We arrived upon the field of battle and immediately attacked the gryphons in the air. Luckily more of them were on the ground than in the air, so we used our superior air numbers to take them down quickly. They were stronger, but we were quicker...and because of the commander's strategy, we caught them by surprise again. I flew as fast as I could and slammed all four hooves into the head of the first gryphon I came across. He was dazed, but not down. _'By Celestia these things are tough!'_ The gryphon turned towards me and snarled, then lunged. I barely had time to move before its claws slashed at where I was just half a second ago. The gryphon lunged at me again, and so I bucked the approaching taloned foot as hard as I could. I heard a satisfying *CRACK* and a scream of pain, and I looked back to see the foot bent at a very awkward angle. I winced a bit just from looking at it, and in that second the creature was joined by two others. _'This isn't good...I can't fight three of them at once!'_ I prepared to fly off as fast as I could, but was stopped by a massive gout of orange flames engulfing the gryphons in front of me. The three that were about to attack me were covered in flames, and fell to the ground screaming. I looked down to see where the flames had come from, only to find a tall black dragon wearing armor. He smiled and gave a small salute before rushing towards where the commander was.

We were stopped by a large pack of gryphons, and we proceeded to fight our way free. The battle went on and on like this for what seemed like hours, and I could tell that we were massively outnumbered. Even with our ambush tactics, there were just too many of them and not enough of us. We were slowly losing this battle.

I turned to Silverwing and yelled as loud as I could at her, "Silver, get a message to the princess! Northern border is falling!" She nodded and sped off as fast as she could towards Canterlot. I then turned my attention back to the enemy, and fought free of most of them, with the dragon's help of course. After clearing some of the area so we could move, the two of us headed towards a large group of gryphons circling and attacking something...

I followed the dragon only to find some sixty or so gryphons circling a silver armored alicorn. He was bleeding from a cut along his face and many more covering his legs, as well as what looked like a bite mark on the small patch of his neck that was unprotected.

He saw us coming towards him and he shook his head. "No, get back! Get as far away as you can!"

I couldn't leave him...he wouldn't leave me. I was about to fly to him to help, but a large clawed hand held me back...it was the dragon. He looked at me with sad eyes and shook his head. He then yelled out in a loud voice, "All troops, full retreat! Clear the area!"

My group as well as Captain Armor's all began a full retreat, and all of the gryphons began to turn their attention to our commander. I was torn...I had a bad feeling that Steelbreaker was about to do something stupid.

**Perspective change - Steelbreaker**

It wasn't enough. We just weren't prepared enough for this, and I could see we were losing. Even with the help of our ambushes, there were just not enough of us to hold back wave after wave of gryphons. They were an unending tide, and I knew trying to stop them all would only end up getting more of us killed...and the four we had already lost was too many already. I couldn't let them through though...their next destination would be Canterlot or Ponyville...

I couldn't let that happen. I knew what I had to do.

I focused on my Element and brought it to the surface, donning the armor after so long. I felt the surge of power flowing from within me, but I knew this wouldn't be like the past. The armor was literally sucking the life out of me...and I only had one chance at this. I focused on the ambient magic in the air as I fought the gryphons around me and drew as much as the magic into my body as I could. The gryphons stopped attacking and stared at me with confusion. I couldn't help but let out a sad chuckle...by the time they figured out what was happening, it would be too late.

'_I'm so sorry, Celly. I have to break my promise.'_

**Perspective change - Darkflight**

The gray pegasus and I were floating high above the battleground now, too high for her to see what's going on...but with my sharpened dragon senses I could see perfectly. I sensed something was happening and I felt something in the air I didn't recognize. It felt like static, and I could feel it moving towards a point below us...towards Drew. My eyes widened in realization at the possibility of what was happening.

'_No...he better fucking not be!'_

...but he was. I knew exactly what he was doing, though I'd never seen a spell like this before.

This is why he told us to get away...he wasn't planning on making it back.

It was like a train wreck...and I couldn't look away. I saw a glittering silvery aura start to form around the battlefield, like when I had trained with him...but the aura was different. It was brimming with energy crackling through the air like lightning. I then began to actually see waves of pulsing energy start to gather around him, and the next second...there was a deafening silence. A massive wave of energy was then released in every direction, so I grabbed the pegasus mare and flew as fast and as far as I could. I chanced a look back and saw that everything the wave touched disintegrated into dust. I then found myself backed against a mountain with nowhere to go...but before the wave reached us, it dissipated.

"No...no no no no no..." I choked out. I bolted towards the area that once held the camp, only to find barren earth. Where there used to be trees and grass and little bushes, there was now nothing but dirt. As I flew down towards the epicenter of the "explosion", I saw a tall blue armored alicorn standing next to a motionless silver stallion's body.

* * *

**Perspective change - Celestia**

I had been pacing for hours after Steel had left. I couldn't address cases in court in my current state, so I simply used the excuse that I was busy with wartime duties. The nobleponies bought it, thankfully. Luna as well as all of the Elements had joined me in my study, as well as Lyra, Vinyl Scratch, and even Steel's mother and sister. They were all not much better off than I, with Steel's mother actually being worse off. She was wracked with worry and stress, and while I had yet to have a foal of my own, I could understand her feelings of worry...for I was feeling them myself.

We were interrupted by a guard knocking on the door. "Princess, you have a scout back from the front lines. She says it's urgent."

I nodded. "Very well, send her in please."

The guard nodded and stepped aside to reveal a petite chrome-white pegasus. She was breathing with difficulty and her armor was stained with droplets of blood. The scout bowed to me and then looked up...and I could see the sadness and fear in her eyes. "Private Silverwing, report. What news do you bring?"

She saluted me and sat down. "Princess Celestia, I bring word from the northern border from Corporal Ditzy Doo. The border is falling."

I blinked in disbelief. "I-is that all private?" I said, my voice betraying my emotions.

She nodded and left. I then heard what sounded like sobs from outside the door, and I wasn't the only one who noticed either. All the ponies in my study were now much more worried, and I could tell by their facial expressions.

I stood tall and looked to my sister, not being able to keep a tear falling from my eye. "Luna, I need to you stay here and look after things. I must go and see what is happening. I promise I will be back soon." She looked about to protest, but closed her mouth and nodded. Without another word I focused upon where I had been informed the military camp was and disappeared in a flash of light.

* * *

After falling through the void I reappeared in what was once a beautiful and vibrant green field...only to find a barren wasteland. _'What has happened here?'_ I took a look around and noticed something in the distance...figures approaching through the dust cloud. I squinted and as they got closer, they began to take the shape of a tall dragon, an alicorn, and a pegasus. I recognized the dragon as Darkflight and noticed he was carrying something. However, it wasn't until he got closer that I became very confused at the sight. The avatar of winter was walking with him, and he was carrying...

Oh gods no...

**Perspective change - Darkflight**

I had always prided myself on being the tough badass...but at this moment I didn't care about that. I was crying openly as I walked towards the shocked princess of the sun, with a lifeless body in my arms - Drew's body. Looking at the princess' face nearly made me sick from how much pain was in it. I wanted to say something to her, anything, but no words came to me. There was nothing to be said about this.

My only brother was dead...and it was _my _fault.

As I stepped in front of Celestia, I fell to my knees in sobs of sorrow, grief...every sad emotion there was. I lay down the body at her hooves and proceeded to cry like a baby. The princess stood there with a look of disbelief, pain, anger and many others all at once.

"He Pinkie promised..." she whispered, just barely audible.

She was silent for a few seconds longer before she collapsed on the ground, shaking in silent sobs. Then she suddenly let out a loud cry of pure agony and sorrow. Had I not been there, I would have thought someone was murdering her...but no, I _was _there. I stood up and ignored my own grief for a moment, and embraced the bawling alicorn in my arms. She leaned her head against my shoulder and cried harder than I'd ever thought possible. Frostrender stood there a moment longer watching us, before he stepped forward.

"Princess Celestia and Darkflight, I am so sorry for this loss. I tried to stop it...but there was nothing I could do. He was driven to protect all of you by any means necessary. I did not even think he was capable of something like this..." he said with a sad sigh.

I hugged the princess tighter and sighed. "None thought he was, Frost. Knowing him like I did, I don't think even _he _thought he was. That doesn't change the fact that he's gone now...and it's my fault..."

Celestia suddenly pulled back and punched me in the chest with force. "Don't _ever _say that, Darkflight. You stood by him in this...and you will be remembered as a hero for your bravery in the face of immeasurable odds," her voice began to crack and falter, "...as will he."

I didn't deserve this..._he _didn't deserve this...

* * *

**Perspective change - Luna**

I had lost my modesty nearly ten minutes ago when I suddenly could not hold back tears from flowing. I could not explain why, but I felt immense misery and I could not help but cry.

Something was very wrong.

I stood up and prepared to take flight to check on my sister, only to be stopped by the sight I beheld when I stepped out onto the balcony. There, flying towards me was my sister, looking more broken than I'd ever seen her. Her mane had lost most of its color, instead becoming dull shades of gray, and her eyes were bloodshot and puffy from crying. Behind her I saw Frostrender flying with an equally sad expression. I was confused as to why Steel would be in that form...until I saw what was behind him.

It was Darkflight, carrying Steel's body.

My mind went blank...I could not believe this...I _would not_ believe this. This has to be a bad dream, this has to be some sort of trick. I was having no trouble denying it and it came much easier than I expected...until I saw his face.

That smile...that same soft smile that he gave me the first time he told me he loved me was plastered on his face. I froze in...fear? I became numb, I had so many emotions running through me all at once that I could not feel any of them. As they all landed on the balcony I almost unconsciously stepped aside. Collective gasps were heard from the entrance of Tia and Frostrender...and silence upon the entrance of Darkflight.

I turned towards the room to look upon the occupants. There was no sound...only a pregnant silence hung in the air. A moment later, Steel's mother and sister simultaneously broke into deep, choking sobs of anguish. The rest of the room followed a moment later.

I could no longer fool myself...I could no longer escape. The realization hit me as if my moon itself had fallen upon my head.

Steelbreaker - my love - had been killed...

Somewhere, as I retreated into the confines of my own mind, I could hear sobbing cries...my cries.


	29. Ch 26: Impractical Sacrifice

**A/N: Drew here with some more story for your hungry bellies to ingest and digest. Good it is. NOM. As always, R&R and let me know what you thought.**

**To wolfoftheabyss5 - I definitely didn't tell him to do that shit. I would have said something along the lines of "turn into a big scary monster" or "insult their mothers until they cry". As far as the military stuff, that's thanks to four years of military academy when I was younger and the internetz. It can save your life, man.**

**To hunter - I mean I'm sure there **_**is **_**a way to do it, but that still leaves the biggest piece out of the puzzle for the spell: a personal image of the location. The way that teleportation seems to work is that the caster has to have a perfect image of his/her location in their head...most often meaning they have to have been there before.**

**To Ausarheart - No need to apologize for criticism man. I did say at the very beginning of this story that **_**all **_**criticism is appreciated...negative or positive. It lets me know what rolls with you and what doesn't. As far as what you seem to think to be too clichè as far as the stories on here, I will let you know it will be anything but that. Think of it this way: just because you know the destination doesn't mean you can imagine what the road will look like, what kind of people you'll meet, or whether or not you'll get raped by a hitchhiker. Prepare thy anus, thy anal penetration is imminent!**

**To andman - **_**Gd: In all honesty, I'm not really into males all that much. Put it this way - I can see why he **_**would **_**be attractive, I just don't want to "get at that", as the gryphon youngsters say nowadays.**_

**To DAS WUNA - Meh...Skittles are better than cheese. I'll take it. Throw bottles of Schnapps and I'll be happier. And you receive 1000 points for excessive erotica in reviews.**

**To Ponydiscord - Gotta keep the story interesting after all.**

**To FireBreath5150 - I seriously thought about using this quote in the story. Actually brought a tear to my eye.**

**To Vinyl Beat - I shall continue as planned, my dear lady.**

**To Guest - To some degree, I am an unfeeling bastard. Still...I can't end the story like that. That would be like going to see Batman and getting shot. Oh wait...that happened...shit. Bad example. Oh well...here's a cookie!**

**To ZSD - **_**PC: Your offer is commendable and noble, young one. However, your destiny is not his. Besides, I know he would not want his life to be at the cost of another's. I could not ask and would not allow for such a sacrifice from you or any other being...the price is too great and it would be an insult to everything he stood for. If you wish to give a life like his meaning, become who and what you were born to be. Find your passion and pursue it with every ounce of your being...as he did.**_

**I've had quite a few readers sending me messages asking how the hell I come up with these ideas so fast and so well. Well, I can't say that they're all **_**that **_**great...I've seen better on this site. Still, I appreciate the sentiment. As far as how I do it, music helps. For example for the battle of last chapter, I was listening to "Waking the Demon" by Bullet for My Valentine. For this chapter, I was listening to "Summit" by Skrillex. I guess from now on I'll start posting music choice in the chapters so that maybe it'll give you insight into the thought process. Hope I inspire some of you to become great writers yourselves, hopefully better than me one day. **

* * *

Chapter 26: Impractical Sacrifice

**Perspective change – Frostrender**

This was wrong in _every_ sense of the word. Through my own compassion, I was forced to watch as Steelbreaker's loved ones broke – mind and soul – because of his death. My immortal heart was softened, and I could not help but let my own tears flow.

It had been two days since his death. A small simple ceremony was to be held in the main square of the town of Ponyville to honor those lost in just the first battle…as well as the loss of the prince. There were a great many questions asked in regards to his sacrifice for this world…for his new home. Questions were asked ranging from why he would do such a thing all the way to why a prince would even be on the battlefield in the first place, but none could be answered. As the ceremony started, I strode forth to the podium to address the crowd.

"Citizens of Ponyville, I am Frostrender. For those who do not know me, I am the avatar of winter and ice, and I am…_was_ a part of Prince Steelbreaker." I said with a solemn expression. I cleared my throat before continuing in a powerful yet soothing voice, "This is a great loss for us all. Whether close to him or not, he made an impression on all of us, even for those who did not know him personally. He gave his life to protect you…_all_ of you. Now however, I fear this sacrifice was too costly. I see the pain it has caused, though lives were saved." I looked beside me at Steelbreaker's mother, sister, and brother. "When a son loses his mother, there is grieving and mourning…but in time the son can look forward to a better tomorrow. By remembering and honoring what his mother has taught him, the son can make sure that his mother never truly dies." I dropped my eyes in newfound sadness. "However, when a mother loses a son, there is no hope for a better tomorrow. A parent having to bury their child goes against the most basic laws of nature. Such is the risks of war, but that does not make it any easier." I then turned back to the crowd. "He gave his life so that you might live. I say to you ponies, do not let his sacrifice be in vain. Make sure the life he saved is a good one. Make it worth it."

Everyone on the elevated ground with me let pained tears fall. I was now letting my own tears openly flow as well. I couldn't help but let a pained snort of laughter out. I realized how foolish it was for an elemental avatar to be weeping as a mortal would…but I found myself not caring. Living within the body and mind of Steelbreaker had given me insight into the life of mortal beings…and into the life of a young human man. Every happiness, every pain, every incident of love and intimacy…I felt it and lived it all. I remember eons ago my brother, Summer, chided me often for being so compassionate towards the mortal races. He was right of course, though I had never admitted it to him. When I lost him to the Great War, I felt the same feeling of brokenness I felt at this moment. I could only imagine the Steelbreaker's family was feeling.

I began to question myself as an immortal…whether I deserved it or not. Immortal life offered me the ability to do great good in keeping balance within our world, and was a great honor among the elementals. I should have done more to prevent the death of Steelbreaker, however.

I was not worthy…

**Perspective change – Darkflight**

I hadn't stopped crying since the funeral ceremony begun. I felt like such a pussy for bawling like a baby…but Applejack held me close all the same.

She looked at me with her lovely emerald eyes and smiled sadly, her own tears streaming down her face. "It's ahlraht, sugarcube…cry. I don't think any less of ya. I'd consider ya heartless if ya weren't, matter of fact."

To think it took coming to this glittery cutsie world to find a girl that really understood me. It was unnerving in a lot of ways, but day by day I was slowly becoming more okay with it. If not for AJ and my family, I'd not be able to even take another breath at that moment.

It wasn't even so much my own sadness that was turning on my waterworks. As heartless as it sounds, I would usually be able to hold it in. Over years of shit happening in my life back on Earth, I'd learned to keep myself in check. Women didn't like a guy that cried like a bitch, no matter what those shitty "perfect man" books and magazines might say. No, it wasn't my own sadness that was getting to me…it was the expressions and reactions of all of Drew's friends and my family. Normally I'd be jealous that someone other than me was loved by so many, but it didn't bother me at all actually. I didn't let it, because it would be an insult to his memory. He deserved the care and affection that he got from everyone, and his last act was proof of that. At the moment though, only one question was gnawing at my mind…

What now?

What do you do after losing someone so close to you? How do you go on? What's the point? I then started to think something that I never thought would ever in a million years come to mind: it should've been me. Years of guilt caused from the treatment I'd meted out to women, friends, and even family started crushing down on me. I took advantage of every nice gesture given to me, every polite smile, and every honeyed word. Drew never did. Maybe it's because it happened to him so many times or maybe he just wanted to be different from me…but he never willfully took advantage of anyone's kindness. He always gave more than he would take, even when he sometimes had near to nothing to give. As much as I hated to admit it, I started to see through his eyes exactly why he hated Earth so much.

It was because of people like me.

**Perspective change – Twilight Sparkle**

I was completely done at this point. I had held myself together throughout the entire procession, but as soon as the silver casket opened, I lost control. I was sobbing uncontrollably while Luna and Celestia held me tight, each weeping as well. It took every bit of restraint I had left in me to keep from shaking the body screaming at him to wake up. He had a slight smile on his face - the same smile he would show to me in those common yet special moments when he felt nothing for me but love and adoration. No matter what I had done, no matter what had happened…he loved me unconditionally. Had I not known better, I would have thought he was sleeping at this moment, and that just made saying goodbye that much harder. We were going to live together and one day get married…and perhaps later have our own foals. Why did this have to happen? What justice is there in the world for this? I began to feel a new emotion…one I was never acquainted with before.

Hatred.

I hated the gryphons now. I hated that their greed or whatever it was that compelled them to attack us had cost me Steel…had cost _all of us_ Steel. This is what Steel had told me Earth was like…where humans would kill each other for little or no reason. What was the point? It only led to pain and death. There is no lasting peace that can be gained from killing another living being.

I started to feel helpless in quelling my own need for closure. There was no book that told of this and no experience I'd had before to prepare for something like this. What was the point in going on now? Steel was my first real love besides Luna…and now he was gone. I loved Luna in every sense of the word, but that didn't help. Maybe I was just being selfish…I don't know. What I did know is that Steel wouldn't want us to be broken over this. For awhile it was going to hurt, but he gave his life so that we might keep ours…and live in happiness.

Was it worth it though?

**Perspective change – Rainbow Dash**

This isn't fair. Why did it have to be him? There were plenty of other ponies more than happy to fight for Equestria. So why then, did Steel have to fight? I didn't get it…it's almost like he had a death wish or something.

The speeches had ended a while ago, and the majority of us were speaking and/or being comforted by family, friends, and other ponies. I couldn't help but ask myself questions over and over again, and none of them yielded any answers. I was pulled from my own confusion by a soft voice behind me.

"Rainbow Dash…" said the sad, broken voice. I turned to see the two princesses with tears in their eyes. Their own tears pushed me over the edge and I started crying too.

However, I kept my composure enough to respond. "Yes princesses?" I said in a voice barely above a whisper.

They both leapt forward and hugged me tight. I tried to hold it in but instead just erupted with wailing tears. In the back of my mind all I could think of was how pathetic Spitfire would think I was right now. I pushed the thought away though, now was not the time for Wonderbolts thinking…Steel deserved more than that.

The only pony who hadn't moved was Frostrender. It seemed weird referring to him as his own pony now, but he wasn't a part of Steel anymore. As Princess Celestia said, somehow the spell Steel cast had basically given Frostrender his own life. It was something about the sacrifice affecting him as well, except in a magical way. Frostrender continued to stare at the open casket, apparently deep in thought. My curiosity got the best of me, so I released the princesses and walked over to him.

Frostrender didn't acknowledge me at first; he just kept starting at Steel's body…as if looking at it hard enough was going to bring him back to life. He then let out a sad sigh and turned his head to look at me, a pained expression on his face. "This is not right, Rainbow Dash…there must be something that can be done."

I slumped a little in sadness at his statement. If an immortal could not accept death, how was I supposed to? "Frost…Steel's gone. There's nothing more that can be done."

He then turned back to Steel's body. "Dashie, there's always something that can be done. There's always hope."

'_That voice...'_

I was stunned. That very sentence was said to me by Steel when the gryphons first declared war. What shocked me the most was that when Frostrender said it, I could have sworn I heard Steel's voice, not his.

Like a little filly, I broke down and cried for the umpteenth time that day. I hated being a mare sometimes...

**Perspective change - Pinkie Pie**

The feeling was back. That same feeling of sadness I felt the day daddy...killed himself. After this, I didn't know if I'd even deserve the Element of Laughter anymore. How could anypony possibly laugh or smile after something like this? It wasn't fair...

The other ponies had all cleared out by now, as it was late afternoon and raining softly. Usually a gloomy ugly day like this would bother me, but now it just matched how I felt on the inside. I wandered around the square by myself, and saw something in the distance. It was a tall figure coming towards us. At first I thought it was Darkflight, until I looked back and noticed he was still there. As it got closer, I noticed the distinct coloring of wood on it. It got closer until it was standing right in front of me, a sad expression on its face.

"Hello, Pinkie Pie." he said sadly.

I stood on my hind legs and wrapped him in a hug as I cried. "You made it, Moonfang."

He nodded and ran his claws through my straight mane. "I came to pay my respects. It's only right I do so. If not for Steel, I wouldn't even be here right now."

I nodded and we walked together towards the casket in the square. There was no danger of him being seen, as the only ones left now were family and friends. They all looked up and watched us as we walked together towards the small tent that had been made for Steel's body, and I just nodded at them.

As we both stepped inside, Moonfang froze. He didn't move...I didn't even think he was breathing. He took one step, then another, then another until he stood in front of the silver coffin. He was still for the longest time until he slowly placed a hand on the body's chest. He let out a shuddering sigh and I think I saw a tear roll off his face.

"I have you to thank for my wonderful new life. I..." he stuttered as he sighed again. "I am sorry I was not there when you needed me. Please forgive me. May you find peace in the next life. Goodbye, my friend." He breathed a choking sob and stepped away, his hand lingering a moment longer upon his fallen friend. His breathing was steady as he stepped away and turned to me, but I could see tears streaming down his face. He hastily wiped them away with his hand and snarled in frustration at himself. "I'm sorry, Pinkie Pie. Crying is unfitting for a wolf."

I hugged him again, nuzzling into the thick wooden skin of his neck. "You're not just a wolf anymore, Moonfang...you're our friend. Steel didn't see you as _just _a wolf, and neither do we. You're so much more than that. You think Steel choosing to give you the gifts he did was a random occurrence? I _know _random, Moonfang. Steel is anything but random. He did for you what he did because he saw something different in you...and you know what? I think I see it too."

Even with the sad atmosphere, he smiled at me as I pulled away and stroked my mane. "Thank you, Pinkie Pie. That means a lot to me coming from you."

**Perspective change - Luna**

I was in so much pain. There was no need for this to happen...why him? I would live another thousand years on the moon if it meant he did not have to go...but he did. I had spent the last two days in the Royal Library searching for a spell to bring him back. I didn't care what the cost was at this point...but I came up with nothing. I was lost...more so than I had ever been in my long life.

Tia was doing much worse than I was, however. I tried to comfort her as best I could, but she had not stopped weeping since the day she brought the body back. This was the second real love of her life she had lost to death.

The life of an immortal was both a blessing and a curse.

**Perspective change - Frostrender**

I'd had a headache by now trying to think of some way to fix this. There had to be something that could be done about this. The death of Steelbreaker was just...unacceptable. What hurt more than the headache, however, was my heart whenever I would hear the sobs of Steelbreaker's...no, _our _loved ones. Steelbreaker and I had become one being over the past few months. While at one time perhaps I had my own consciousness, we were now one and the same. I felt like I knew everyone he did.

_'Wait...one being...'_

The idea hit me like a lightning strike...but then I faltered. The price is great...would it be worth it? I looked around at all the grieving ones around me.

Yes...yes it would.

_'Brother...I think I now understand why you did it.'_

I turned to the two princesses with a solemn face...I hope they forgive me for this. "Avatar of Night, Avatar of Day...Winter summons you!"

The two princesses howled in pain as their bodies were taken over by the respective avatars. They whimpered, they cried more, and they convulsed as they felt their resolve weaken. A flash of light followed. When my vision cleared, I found myself looking at Nightmare Moon and Lux.

Nightmare Moon stepped forth and glared at me. "Winter, what have you done? This is unacceptable to summon us during their time of grieving. Explain yourself."

Lux did not speak, but shared an equal glare with her sister. I breathed a sigh of sadness before speaking. "We must perform the ritual." Both of my fellow avatars gasped in shock. I was not surprised by their response.

Nightmare Moon stepped closer to me, now with fear in her eyes. "No...Winter, do not do this."

I shook my head sadly at her. "Night, it is my choice. What was given was not mine to take. Take your place, Night."

She stood defiantly and frowned. "No...I will not"

"If you do not take your place, I will perform the ritual myself. You know full well what will happen if I do." I said softly.

Lux then stepped forward as well and eyed me with confusion. "Winter...why are you doing this?"

I nearly broke down again when I saw her face...but I had to press on. "Steelbreaker once told me that he who has nothing he would die for is not fit to live..."

**Perspective change - Nightmare Moon**

"I am not sure what that has to do with anything, Winter." I said with great confusion. I could feel Luna was confused as well, and was surprisingly not fighting to regain control. We both knew what the ritual meant...I could not let him do this.

He smiled a genuine happy smile, for the first time in millennia. "Because, Night...I have found what I would die for. I never knew why Summer did what he did until right now...this moment. He did it because it was right. He did it because he realized there was a greater purpose he could fulfill than to simply live. Now please...I am pleading with you to take your places to perform the ritual, or I will be forced to do it myself."

He knew he had put us both in a corner, but I still had to try to stop him from doing this. "Winter...you know there's no guarantee. There never was."

He smiled and nodded. "It'll work. I have faith. Now please, I'm only going to ask one more time before I take matters into my own hooves."

We had no choice in the matter. With a heavy heart, the both of us stood on opposite sides of the last avatar of seasons. Before we could start, I leaned forward and kissed him one last time. "Goodbye Winter...I will miss you."

He smiled one last time and turned away.

**Perspective change - Applejack**

I was still confused about what was going on when the three avatars started talking about some ritual, but then they were all standing around the tent that held Steel's body and their horns started to glow. I turned to Twi and poked her in the shoulder to get her attention.

"Twi, what're they doin'?" I asked in confusion.

She shook her head, not taking her eyes off the scene. "I...I don't know Applejack."

I shrugged and turned back to them, only to see that Frostrender was walking inside the tent that held the body. All of the sudden ice started to crawl up from the ground, covering the tent in it. Within a few seconds all that remained was a huge block of cloudy ice. Nightmare Moon and the other one walked over to us with sad looks on their faces.

Nightmare Moon spoke first. "I am sorry...but he made his choice."

I was curious, but Twi beat me to it. "What choice? What are you talking about?" she asked.

The other avatar looked back at the ice block before talking. "I am sorry...we cannot say more than that. Its in the gods' hands now."


	30. Last Rites

**A/N: Well everyone, this marks the end of "The Lost Element". It's been a fun journey, but now it's time for a new one. Next installment will be called "Return of the Avatars", and I will be writing the first chapter or two today. This last "chapter" will address the last few reviews you guys have.**

**To Dark Datum - So a love/hate relationship, huh? I'm good at those.**

**To wolfoftheabyss5 - Well I can honestly say I'm glad I made you cry. In any other context, that would sound like I'm being a dick. :P**

**To DAS WUNA - I never said I don't eat cheese, I'm just not crazy about it. I'm more about fresh fruit and alcohol. As far as raping my dead body, I'd be insulted if you didn't.**

**To Ponydiscord - What do you mean? Read the last chapters, the hints are there. Simple platonic female friends don't constantly cuddle, no matter how close they are. Luna and Twi always had a thing going I think.**

**To FireBreath5150 - Cliff hangers are good once in awhile. I don't use them all that often, so I make sure I get the best use out of them. As far as your writing, I never thought I'd become a great writer either. I **_**still**_** don't think I am, but you all seem to like my story, so I keep it going. Besides, the sign of anyone truly great is humility, or so it's been said.**

**To AnOnBrOnY5 - **_**Lux: I shall just explain this myself, young one. "The Ritual" is an ancient rite of elementals that goes back to the beginning of time in Equestria. None of the immortals really know who created it or why, but what is important is what it does. The ritual is a magical rite that allows two essences to combine to be one. In living beings, it allows access to unfathomable power, but will eventually tear the body apart. In a case such as Steelbreaker's, it is a sacrifice. One being may sacrifice himself in an attempt to give his life to another. It is a risk, as it has only ever been performed successfully once...by Winter's brother, Summer. The reason why Winter demanded our help with it is because the sacrifice performing the ritual by themselves drastically lowers the chance that it will be successful. It is still a risk either way, however.**_

**Well everyone, it's been quite a journey, but it is not over yet. Check out the next installment titled "Return of the Avatars". It will also be rated M for safety reasons, and will be categorized the same as this one, Adventure/Romance. Peace all. **

**May the sun brighten your day and warm your skin, and may the moon light your path on your darkest nights.**


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